Combining ability analysis for yield and yield contributing traits using cytoplasmic male sterility-fertility restoration system in rice hybrids

Abstract EN

Combining ability study was carried out on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) during the wet season of 2000 and 2001 by following the line x tester analysis in the research farm Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, India for plant height, panicle length, total number of productive tiller per plant, total number of spikelet per panicle, total number of filled spikelet per panicle, total number of chaffy spikelet per panicle, spikelet fertility percentage, pollen sterility percentage, 100-grain weight and grain yield per plant, involving four CMS (Cytoplasmic Male Sterile) lines, 13 testers and resulting 52 rice hybrids (cross combinations).

The analysis revealed the predominance of non-additive gene action for all the characters under study.

This suggests the possibility of exploiting heterocyst in the present material.

Among the CMS lines studied, DRR 22A was a good general combiner for plant height, CMS line IR 62829A was a good general combiner for the total number of spikelets per panicle and grain yield per plant, CMS line IR 67684A was also good general combiner for total number of productive tiller per plant, total number of filled spikelet per panicle, spikelet fertility percentage and pollen sterility percentage whereas CMS line IR 68899A was rated as good general combiner for total number of chaffy spikelet per panicle.

Tester Swarna was found best general combiner for grain yield per plant.

Eight cross combinations exhibited high SCA (Specific Combining Ability) effects for grain yield per plant.

These crosses were found to involve at least one parent with high GCA (General Combining Ability) effect and other parents having either high or low GCA effect indicating the involvement of additive as well as non-additive gene action operating in these crosses.