Cummings Laboratory, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012
**Present address: Depaitment of Plant Breeding, G. B. P. U. A. & T., Pantnagar-263 145, Distt. Nainital (U. P.) and All-India Coordinated Wheat Improvement Project (ICAR), I.A.R.I., New Delhi.
*Part of the thesis submitted by the senior author for the Ph.D. degree of I.A.R.I., New Delhi.
In order to explore the possibilities of utilization of winter wheats in improving Indian spring wheats, a study on combining ability analysis was made in a line × tester cross involving eleven female and five male parents in rabi seoson. Data were recorded on grain yield per plant, number of tillers per plant, number of grains per ear, weight of grains per ear, 100-grain weight, plant height and days to heading.
Variances for males as well as females were highly significant for all the seven characters. ‘NP 863’ was found to be best general combiner among male parents and was followed by ‘Kalyansona’. The good general combiners for yield and other characters among female parents were ‘Red Coat’ (V 36), ‘B 5028’ ‘A 11–10–2’ (V 35), ‘Benhur’ (V 11) and ‘Wis. 245 × Supermo 21’ (V 156). The best specific combination for grain yield was ‘V156 × Kalyansona,’ though none of the crosses were significant for this character. The other good specific cross combination for grain yield per plant and number of tillers per plant was ‘V 35 X Kalyansona.’ The best specific combinations for number of grains per ear and 100-grain weight were ‘V31 × Hira’ and ‘E 7057 × NP 863’, respectively.
The possibilities of utilization of winter wheats in the Indian wheat programme are discussed and the screening of large amount of winter wheat germplasm from different origin has been advocated.
