Heterosis and combining ability in garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) for yield and its contributing traits

Abstract

Combining ability and heterosis studies for earliness and quality traits in pea were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Eighteen genotypes including fifteen females and three males were crossed in line x tester fashion during winter 2008 and Fortyfive hybrids along with eighteen parents were evaluated in 2009. Significant mean squares due to lines, testers, hybrids, line x tester and parents vs. hybrids were observed for yield and its contributing traits. The SCA/ GCA variance ratios were less than unity for days taken to 50% flowering, plant height, pod length, number of pods per plant, green pod yield, days taken to maturity and shelling percentage indicating predominance of additive gene effects for these characters, therefore, it is suggested that selection in early generation may be fruitful either following mass selection or progeny selection or simple recurrent selection. Among the females, Arkel and MA-6 were found to be the best general combiner for earliness i.e. days taken to 50% flowering and days taken to maturity. Some of the crosses were observed superior for the sca effects as well as for heterosis which includes Arkel x C-96 for days taken to 50% flowering and days taken to maturity, C-308 x C-400 for plant height, MA-6 x C-400 for pod length, Arkel x C-400 for number of pods per plant, JM-5 x C-96 and NDVP-10 x C-400 for shelling percentage. These findings can be further utilized to develop and enhance the yield potential of pea cultivars