Combining ability and heterosis for yield and quality traits in pea (pisum sativum l. )‎

Abstract EN

Increase pea yield and quality traits are essential goalsin any breeding program.

This study was carried out during three winter growing seasons of 2018/ 2019, 2019/ 2020, and 2020/ 2021 on pea using diallel mating design (4×4) without reciprocals at Fac.

Agric.

, Zagazig Univ.

, Egypt.

Analysis of variance showed significant and highly significant mean squares for all the studied traits of genotypes, except the TSS trait, which had insignificant.

Parent Master B (P₂) showed positive and significant general combining ability (GCA) effects for pod number/ plant, 100-seed weight, and yield/ plant and parent Entsar 2 (P₄) for plant height, plant dry weight, pod length, pod diameter, and seed number/pod.

The pea cross Little Marvel (P₃) × Entsar 2 (P₄) had the highest values of mean and desirable effects of specific combining ability (SCA) for yield/ plant and pod number/ plant.

Additive gene action was controlled plant height, plant dry weight, pod length, pod diameter, seed number/pod, pod number/plant, TSS, and protein content, while non-additive controlled the rest characters.

Cross Cambados (P₁) × Little Marvel (P₃) exhibited positive and significant SCA effects for branch number, plant dry weight, pod length, seed number/pod, and TSS.

Positive and significant heterosis values were recorded in crosses P₃ × P₄ andP₂ × P₃ for yield/ plant and pod number/ plant.

Therefore, these genotypes could be used in the future program to improve pea yield.