Combining ability and gene action studies for fruit yield and yield contributing traits in brinjal

Combining ability and gene action were studied in diallel mating design using seven homozygous lines namely, RCMB-10, RCMB-7, RCMB-4, RCMB-3, RCMB-1, BB-40 and BB-64. General combining ability studies revealed that RCMB-10 and BB-64 were best combiners for major yield contributing characters viz. plant height, number of primary branches per plant, fruit weight and fruit yield. However, the estimates of specific combining ability showed the highest desirable sca effects in crosses RCMB-3 x BB-64 for plant height, number of branches and number of fruits, RCMB-10 x RCMB-4 for fruit breadth, fruit weight and yield, RCMB-10 x RCMB-3 for percent fruit set and RCMB-1 x BB-64 for fruit length. Gene action analysis revealed preponderance of both additive and non-additive genes for yield and its contributing characters.