Heterosis and combining ability studies in greengram

Fifty six F₁ hybrids obtained by crossing four lines and fourteen exotic testers in a line × tester mating design were used to generate information on gene action, combining ability and heterosis in greengram. These parents and crosses were grown in a randomized complete block design with two replications. Except for seed fertility, the magnitude of SCA variance was greater than GCA variance for all the characters indicating preponderance of non-additive gene action. The parents ‘Co 6’, ‘Barimung 7’ and ‘Binamung 7’ were identified as good general combines for yield and yield contributing characters. The crosses ‘VBN(Gg) 3’ × ‘SML 1023’ and ‘VBN(Gg) 3’ ×’EC 396117’ were found to have superior mean, sca effects and standard heterosis for number of seeds per pod and 100 seed weight and number of clusters per plant and single plant yield, respectively. Hence, these crosses could be advanced to obtain high yielding segregants with determinate growth habit, synchronised maturity, long pod, bold and shiny seeds in greengram.