Heterosis and Combining Ability Analysis for Grain Yield and its Components through Partial Diallel Mating Fashion in Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.]

Fifteen sorghum crosses, developed through crossing of ten parents in partial diallel fashion were studied along with two checks CSV-10 and CSH-6 for heterobeltiosis, combining ability and per se performance for nineteen traits over two environments. Analysis of variance for the experiment revealed presence of considerable variability in the material used for all the traits except for number of leaves per plant in both the environments and grain yield was found to be most heterotic component followed by number of grains per panicle and panicle weight. All the fifteen crosses exhibited significant positive heterosis for grain yield in both the environments. The magnitude of heterobeltiosis for grain yield ranged from 21.11 to 214.52 percent in E₁ and 17.18 to 221.42 percent in E₂ environment with a mean of 78.60 and 73.00 percent in E₁ and E₂, respectively. The ratio of ó²gca/ó²sca was greater than one for grain yield and most of the other component traits, indicating preponderance of additive gene effects in the inheritance of these traits. Estimates of general combining ability effects revealed that CSV11 was the best parent followed by IS-23401 and SPV1064 for grain yield and its contributing traits. On the basis of combining ability, heterobeltiosis and per se performance four crosses viz: CSV-11 x SU-582, IS-23401 x Pb-127792, IS-23401 x SU-556 and SPV1064 x SU-556 emerged on as the most promising crosses for future handling.