Combining ability analysis in intervarietal crosses of Oat (Avena sativa L.)

Abstract

To sort out better parent and best crosses for crop improvement, combining ability was studied in forage oat using line x tester analysis with 10 parents namely, OL 1389, OS 315, JHO 2000-6, JHO 2000-4, Sabzar, OS 311 and JHO 2000-5 as females and Kent, OS 6 and JHO 2002-4 as males. The estimates of variances due to specific combining ability (ó2 sca) was higher than general combining ability (ó2 gca) and their ratio (ó2 sca : ó 2 gca) indicated predominance of non-additive i.e. nonfixable type of gene action of these characters. Parents namely, JHO 2000-5, OS 311, Sabzar as females and Kent as male were found good general combiners. The crosses viz., OS 315 x Kent, JHO 2000-6 x Kent, JHO 2000-4 x Kent, OS 311 x Kent, JHO 2000-5 x Kent and JHO-6 x Kent exhibited high sca effects. Hence, these cross combination could throw desirable recombinants in the subsequent generations having high seed yield per plant as well as green forage.