Combining Ability Studies in Linseed (Linum Usitatissimum L.)

A 6x6 diallel analysis in F1 generation including reciprocals in linseed (Linum usitaussimum L.) revealed that the variances caused by gca and sea were highly significant for all the nine characters. The gca variances were relatively larger in magnitude for all the characters, except capsuls/plant and seed/capsule in the second year and seed yield in the first year of study. Reciprocal differences were highly significant for all the characters in the study. Only the parent A 7-1-1 has been noted as the best general combiner for eight characters but undesirable for days to maturity, as earliness is a desirables character. The parents B-6 and e.g. 78002 were good combiners for days to maturity causing earliness, whereas e.c 1445 was a good combiner for height at branching, tillers per plant, branches per plant and capsules per plant. N.P.(RR)9 for plant height, heightat branching and fibre yield; and e.c. 78014 for plant height and height at branching were good combiners. The crosses of e.c. 1445 with N.P.(RR)9 and B-6; N.P.(RR)9 with e.c. 78014; B-6 with e.c. 78014; A7-1-1 with e.c. 78014;and e.c 78014 with e.c 78002 appeard to be good for seed yield and most of the contributing characters. The exploitation of additive and nonadditve gene effects may be dependant upon characters and specific crosses beneficial for further improvement of the crop adopting suitable methods.