Vol. 10, Issue 10 (2021)

Author(s):
Anju Nehra, DK Gothwal, Rajesh C Jeeterwal, SS Puniya, Deepak Gupta and Sarfraz Ahmad

Abstract:
Heterosis for seed yield and yield attributes was studied in 10 x 10 half diallel set of ten diverse sesame genotypes under normal environmental condition. The analysis of variance showed significant mean squares due to genotypes, parents, generations, F1 and parents vs generations for all the studied characters indicating the sufficient amount of genetic variability present in experimental material. Highly positive and significant heterosis over mid and better parent for seed yield per plant and its component traits suggested that there is abundant scope for exploiting heterosis commercially and possibility of isolating desirable segregants. Heterosis ranged between -25.6% (TC-25 x RT-351) to 49.53% (RT-372 x RT-103) for seed yield per plant. Out of 45 crosses, thirty six crosses exhibited positive significant heterosis and twenty four positive significant heterobeltiosis for seed yield per plant. Among these crosses, cross RT-346 x TKG-22, TKG-22 x GT-10, RT-372 x GT-10, RT-372 x RT-351 and GT-10 x RT-351for both heterosis and heterobeltiosis were found to be the most promising combinations for seed yield per plant. Out of these five crosses, only cross RT-372 x RT-351 RT-372 x RT-351 also showed desirable heterosis/heterobeltiosis for most of associated traits i.e. plant height, branches per plant, capsule per plant and 100-seed weight hence that cross may be exploited in further plant breeding programme or identification of transgressive sergeants from the advanced generation.