Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005
*Present address: Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012. Email: yashpaltaak@gmail.com
Online published on 2 February, 2015.
The present study was undertaken with an objective to identify best season for highest success rate of crossing in interspecific hybrids involving four genotypes each of greengram and blackgram. Sowing was done on first week of March (Summer season crop), June (Kharif season crop) and September (Late-kharif season crop), 2011. Crosses were made in line x tester fashion using greengram as female parent during Summer, Kharif and Late-kharif, with average crossability of 3.19%, 6.37% and 9.33%, respectively. The rate of success during late-kharif reached as high as 153.80% and 688.11%, as against kharif and summer, respectively. The optimum weather parameter during late-kharif such as wind velocity ∼2.35 Km/hr, moderately warm ambient temperature (27.87°C), poorly-rained, longer bright sunshine hours (8.8 hr.) with optimum relative humidity (67.75%) favored pollen germination and highest rate of successful fertilization.
Greengram, blackgram, inter-specific hybrids, crossability, relative humidity
