Selection of high yielding superior genotypes through combining ability in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Combining ability analysis of yield components was worked out using a diallel cross set in order to chalk out the nature and magnitude of gene action as well as to isolate good combiners for improvement of various charecters of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori and Paol). The experiment was conducted during rabi 2006–07 and 2007–08 at Kanpur. The experimental material comprised forty five F₁s and F₂s generations derived from diallel mating disign in wheat involving the parents, K 8965, HD 2285, HUW 234, HD 2307, WH 147, UP 2121, K 7410, K 88, K 816 and Sonalika which possessed desirable combinations for various traits, viz. plant height, days to 50% flowering, number of productive tillers, days to maturity, spike length, number of grains spike⁻¹, 1000-grain weight and protein content. The parents K 88, K 7410 and HUW 234 were prominent for grain yield plant⁻¹. The consistency of these combiners in both generations assumed to be stable in their performance. The specific combinations of K 8965 x K 816, UP 2121 x K 816, K 7410 x K 88, K 88 x K 816 and K 186 x Sonalika in F₁ and F₂ generation were semi dwarf (75–85 cm) in nature, good in tillering and early in maturity. The cross combinations, viz. K 7410 x K 816, K 7410 x Sonalika and K 88 x K 816 exhibited significant and desirable specific combining ability effect for grain yield and associated characters. Additive and additive x additive gene effect were more prominent for majority of the characters under study. Parents K 7410 and K 816 were most prominent in combination and parent Sonalika was the most prevalent for expression of important characters like heading, maturity and spike length. Thus they could be considered for further breeding programme.