Combining ability analysis for fruit yield and yield components in okra {Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench}

A line × tester analysis involving six lines, four testers, 24 crosses and one standard check variety was conducted during kharif 2021 in Junagadh, Gujarat, to assess combining ability and the nature of gene action for fruit yield and its component traits in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). Analysis of variance for combining ability revealed highly significant mean squares due to line × tester interaction for all characters studied, indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action. This was further supported by specific combining ability (SCA) variances being generally higher than general combining ability (GCA) variances for most traits. No single parent was found to be a universal good general combiner. However, specific lines (AOL-8-05, 2017/OKYVRES-1, NOL-17-9 and 2018/OKYVRES-3) and testers (HRB-108-2, AOL-16-04 and Kashi Kranti) were identified as good general combiners for various desirable traits, including fruit yield and its components. While no single cross was consistently superior across all characters, the cross 2017/OKYVRES-1 × HRB-108-2 emerged as a superior specific combiner for fruit yield and its attributing traits. This hybrid, derived from a poor × good GCA parental combination, also exhibited high per se performance with significant positive heterosis. The findings suggest that hybridization and exploitation of heterosis are crucial strategies for okra improvement, and the identified parents and promising hybrid hold significant potential for commercial breeding programmes.