Genetic Architecture of Yield and Quality Traits Under Problematic Soils in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Gene action for yield and its component was studied under saline sodic soil in three diverse crosses of barley using generation mean analysis. Both additive and non-additive gene effects were involved in the expression of days to ear emergence, plant height, days to maturity, number of grains per spike, grain yield, flour recovery, husk content, protein content, lysine content and amylose content. The epistatic interaction was observed for all the ten traits in said crosses. In general, magnitude of dominance effect (h) has a greater value than additive effect (d) in all the traits. Digenic interaction indicated complex nature of inheritance means non-additive gene action. The improvement by selection in early generation could be advisable.