Heterosis and nature of gene action for yield and its components in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

Fifteen diverse lines of faba bean (10 exotic, 2 indigenous and 3 improved lines) were crossed with 3 testers to generate 45 hybrids during winter season 2016-17. These F₁’s alongwith their 18 parents and two checks were evaluated at Students’ Instructional Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) during winter season Rabi 2017-18 in yield trials to study the heterosis and nature of gene action for protein content, earliness, yield and yield components traits. Mean squares of genotypes were highly significant for all the traits. The results showed that the majority of crosses exhibited significant heterosis in both the directions over better parent and standard varieties (HFB 1 and Vikrant) for all the studied traits. The results indicated that the magnitude of additive genetic variance (ó²A) were positive and lower than those of non-additive (ó²D) one for all the studied traits except plant height indicating that non additive gene action played a major role in the inheritance of different traits. The broad sense heritability estimates (h²_bs) were more than their corresponding narrow sense heritability (h²_ns %) for all the traits. Highly significant and positive gca effects for grain yield per plant were recorded by HB 10, HB 50, EC 454751 and EC 301470. The eleven crosses having positive and desirable sca effects for grain yield and some of its component traits merit attention in breeding programmes for exploitation as hybrid cultivars of faba bean.