Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
*A part of M. Sc. Horticulture (Olericulture) Thesis submitted to the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (1970–71).
The results revealed that variances due to both general and specific-combining-ability affects were highly significant for protein and ascorbic acid contents. However, variances due to general-combining-ability affects were significantly higher than specific-cross-affects for both the characters, predicting prevalence of additive as well as epistatic gene affects and predominance of the former type of interactions. Bonneville, Morassis-55 and Perfection-New-Line showed the highest effects for protein while Freezer, N. P. 29 and Pusa-2 were the best combiners for ascorbic acid. Bonneville was good combiner for both the nutrients and vice versa was true for P-8. Sixteen of the combinations showed positive affects for protein and twenty of them for ascorbic acid contents. In both the cases all the crosses showing good specific-cross-affects involved one of the parents of good combining ability. This made a case of additive x additive gene effects of dominance relationship for the genes governing protein and ascorbic acid contents in the germplasm included in these studies. Thus selection of a line with high values for both the characters will be successful. Cross N. P. 29 x Morassis-55 showed significantly high specific cross effects for protein as well as vitamin ‘C’ contents.
