1Sukhadia University, Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur, 302 015
2Cumming's Laboratory, I.A.R.I., New Delhi, 110012.
*Part of Ph.D. dissertation by the Senior author submitted to the Rajasthan University, Jaipur in 1983.
Combining ability analysis was conducted on 18 landraces of pearl millet [Pennisetum typhoides [(Burm.f.) Stapf. & Hubb] representing the important bajra growing zones of Rajasthan namely Alwar, Pali, Jodhpur, Banner, Sri Ganganagar, Churu, Sikar and Sawai Madhopur and two established inbred lines with five testers, involving three male sterile lines, one composite variety and one inbred. The s.c.a. × environment interaction was highly significant for all the traits. This reduced the significance of s.c.a. variance for grain yield. The variance of g.c.a. due to females was much larger than any other component. The g.c.a. variance was predominant for all the traits, indicating importance of additive effects. Land-races RP 116 and RP 117 from Alwar, Chadi from Jodhpur and RP 338 from Churu districts and m.s. 5141 A were high combiners. These high general combiners for grain yield also showed average to high g.c.a. effects for most of the desirable yield components.
Pennisetum typhoides, pearl millet, combining ability, landraces, line × tester
