Estimation of heterosis and inbreeding depression for yield and earliness in blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper)

Diallel analysis using six blackgram parents was carried out for 12 quantitative traits. All the crosses exhibiting negative heterosis for yield showed positive trend of inbreeding depression. Non-additive gene action was found to be predominant for all the traits except for days to 50% flowering. The cross LBG-752 × TBG-104 registered positively significant heterobeltiosis and inbreeding depression for seed yield per plant coupled with negatively significant estimates of better parent heterosis and inbreeding depression for days to maturity. All the crosses recorded significant heterosis coupled with considerable inbreeding depression suggesting that they may likely to give early maturing and high yielding segregants in the subsequent generations.