Department of Plant Breeding Genetics and Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 004 (Punjab)
Combining ability analysis and gene action studies were carried out involving 8 lines and 5 testers in barely for grain yield and its components. The variance due to parents was significant for days to 50% flowering, plant height, spike length, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and grain yield per plant indicating that parents possess good amount of genetic variability. The variance due to hybrids was highly significant for all the traits suggesting that good amount of variability generated among the hybrids. The variance due to lines x testers was also highly significant for all the traits. The relative estimates of variance due to sea were higher than variance due to gca for all the traits studied, except days to flowering, indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action. For 1000-grain weight the parents namely 30thIBON-325, 30thIBON-361, DWR28, BH589 and PL709 were good general combiners, whereas the parents 12thHBSN-1, 12thHBSN-25, VJM201 and 12thHBSN-176 were poor general combiners. For grain yield per plant the parents namely 30thIBON-343, 12thHBSN-1, DWR28, BCU71 and PL426 were good general combiners, whereas the parents VJM201, 30, hIBON-361. BH589 and 12thHBSN-176 were poor general combiners. The crosses 30thIBON-361 x 12thHBSN-176, 30thIBON-361 x PL426, 30thIBON-325 x PL 426 and DWR28 x PL426 for 1000-grain weight; and the crosses 30thIBON-343 x 12thHBSN-176, 30thIBON-361 x BCU71, 12thHBSN-1 x PL426 and 12thHBSN-25 x PL426 for grain yield recorded significant sea effects as well as high per se performance. The parents 30thIBON-361 and PL426 for eariiness, 12thHBSN-176 and BCU71 for spike length, 12thHBSN-25 and PL426 for grains per spike, 30thIBON-343 and BCU71 for tillers per plant, and PL426 for 1000-grain weight and grain yield seems to be good specific combiners.
Barley, Hordeum vulgare, combining ability, gene effects
