Diallel analysis in breadwheat

General and specific combining ability effects and variances for eight quantitative characters were studied involvingfive parent diailel (excluding reciprocals). Both additive and nonadditive genetic variances played important role in the inheritance of all the characters studied. In view of this, selective diallel mating system may prove to be fruitful in creating variability upon which effective selection for desirable characters could be made. The additive genetic variance, which was larger in magnitude for grain yield and other component characters except spike length, will be effective in getting transgressive segregates. The predictability ratio was near unity and gca/sca ratio was more than one for all the characters except spike length, suggesting greater importance of additive genetic variance for these characters. Hence, pedigree selection will be suitable for yield improvement in breadwheat. Kharchia 65 and CPAN 3013 are recommended for breeding programme as they expressed high positive and significant gca effects for grain yield and are expected to give high yielding transgressive segregates.