Gene action and Combining Ability Analysis for Quality Traits in Macaroni wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

Gene action and Combining Ability Analysis for Quality Traits in Macaroni wheat (Triticum durum Desf.).

Combining ability effects were determine for grain yield, protein content, beta carotene, chlorophyll content and canopy temperature depression in 8 durum wheat parents and their 28 (except reciprocal) crosses designed through the diallel crossing pattern along with two checks viz.; PDW-233 and HD-2009. All the entries were grown in Randomized Block Design having three replications during rabi-2012-13 at the Field Experimentation Centre of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad. Results depicted by gene action and combining ability effects highlIghts that both additive and non additive gene effects were important in governing the expression of studied traits. The parents viz., PDW-300, RAJ-1555 and RAJ-6560 depicted highest general combining ability (GCA) for grain yield. Whereas, highest positive specific combining ability (SCA) effects were shown by hybrids PDW-300×HI-8653, RAJ-6560×HI-8653 for grain yield per plant; PDW-300× NIDW-295, DBP-01-11×DBP-01-12 for beta carotene; PDW-300×NIDW-295, PDW- 300×DBP-01-12, AKDW-2997-16× RAJ-1555 for protein content; AKDW-2997-16 × RAJ-6560 for chlorophyll content and cross PDW-300×HI- 8653 for canopy temperature depression. The information regarding GCA effects of the parent and SCA affects associated with interaction effects ultimately improve the yield, physiological and quality traits.