ABSTRACT

Studies on combining ability and heterosis in Bhendi (Abelmoschus

esculentus (L.)Moench)

Y.ANBUSELVAM
Reader in Genetics and Plant Breeding, Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of
Agriculture, Annamalai University, AnnamalaiNagar-608002

An investigation has been carried out at Plant breeding Farm, Faculty of Agriculture,
Annamalai University,AnnamalaiNagar, during 2007-2009.Line x Tester analysis was carried
out using nine genotypes of which six were used as Lines and three as Testers. Ten
economically important traits viz., Days to first flower, plant height, number of branches per
plant, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit weight and fruit yield per plant were
evaluated. Another experiment was carried out on fifty other plants of all the genotypes left to
study the potential as a seed crop for its seed yield and observations like number of seeds per
capsule, hundred seed weight and seed yield per plant were recorded. They were evaluated
based on per se performance, general combining ability, specific combining ability effects,
gene action and Heterosis.

Analysis of Variance showed significant deviation among the parents for all the traits studied.
The present investigation also recorded preponderance of non additive gene action for all the
ten characters studied. The experimental results showed that the parents Arka Abhay,TCR
-2056 and Pusa long were superior among the lines and Punjab Padmini and Parbhani Kranti
were superior among the testers for fruit yield. For seed yield, Dharmapuri local, Panruty
local among the lines and Punjab Padmini and Parbhani Kranti among the testers were found
to be superior parents. Among the hybrids, TCR-2056 x Punjab Padmini and Dharmapuri
local x Punjab Padmini were superior hybrids as they showed high per se performance,
significant sca effects and high Standard heterosis values.Thus, they could be used for
producing high fruit yield. The cross Panruty local x Parbhani Kranti showed high mean
,significant sca effects and high standard heterosis. Hence it could be used for producing
high seed yield. The cross Pusa long x Punjab Padmini and Dharmapuri local x Parbhani
Kranti showed high per se performance, non significant sca and high standard heterosios. so
they can be used for recombination breeding for improving fruit yield per plant. The cross
Panruty local x Punjab Padmini showed high mean, non significant sca effects and high
heterosis for seed yield. Hence it could be used in recombination breeding for improving seed
yield.