Genetics of traits associated with drought tolerance in post rainy season sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

Additive (d) gene effects along with predominance of dominance x dominance (l) non-allelic gene interaction effect was found to be important in the inheritance of traits associated with drought tolerance viz; harvest index, length of panicle, total above ground dry matter and grain yield per plant. Duplicate epistasis was involved in the expression of all these traits. Parent SPV1587 was found superior in contributing harvest index, length of panicle and total above ground dry matter, while parent Phule Maulee was found superior in contributing grain yield per plant in cross SPV-1587 x Phule Maulee. The significance of scaling test ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ indicated the presence of all three types of nonallelic gene interaction effects for physiological traits governed by additive (d) gene effects.