Diallel Analysis of Yield and its Components in Desi Cotton
Abstract
The nature and magnitude of genetic variances involved in the inheritance of yield and its components were investigated in a 10-parent diallel cross without reciprocals in Gossypium arboreum. Additive genetic component was significant for bolls/plant, boll size and seeds/boll but not for yield. Dominance gene action was of major importance for yield. The magnitude of H component was greater than D for all the characters. Dominant genes acted both towards high as well as low mean performance of all the characters and on an average, there was greater frequency of favourable genes in the material studied. Three groups of genes exhibited dominance for yield and the number of bolls per plant. In other characters the number was quite low due to the cancelling of dominance effects with opposite signs. Graphic analysis indicated the presence of epistasis for number of seeds per boll and yield. Selection based on progeny performance combined with successive intermating of the desirable segregants is suggested which will favour positive dominant and recessive alleles along with the genes having additive effects.
