Heterosis and combining ability of indigenous and exotic crosses of barley

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.) during Rabi seasons of 20014-15 and 2015-16. The experimental material included 30 genotypes and data were recorded on the following characters viz., days to 75 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of effective tillers/plant, number of grains/main ear, ear length (cm), awn length (cm), biological yield/plant (gm), harvest index (%), grain weight (1000-grain weight) and grain yield/plant. The line × tester interaction was significant for all the traits under study. Plant height showed highest narrow sense heritability followed by 1000 grain weight, on the contrary, only awn length and harvest index exhibited moderate narrow sense heritability. Out of 15 F1's studied, twelve crosses expressed desirable heterosis over BP (Better Parent) and one desirable heterosis over SV (Standard Variety). Among the genotypes, HUBL 09-17, IBYT 04-177, IBYT 04-09 and Moroc 09-75 showed significant negative GCA effects for days to 50% flowering and days to maturity (considering negative effects as desirable). Positive significant GCA effects were recorded for spike length, awn length and harvest index by IBYT 04-10 and IBYT 04-09. BYT(LRA)12 and IBYT 04-10 had shown preferred negative SCA for days to 50% flowering and days to maturity in more crosses. IBYT(LRA)12 had also shown preferrred SCA for number of effective tillers, grain yield per plant and biological yield. The cross Moroc 09-95 × IBYT(LRA)12 had highest SCA for biological yield along with preferred SCA for number of effective tillers, number of grains per spike, 1000 grain weight and grain yield per plant.