Assessing Combining Ability for Yield Related Traits in Upland Cotton through Diallel Analysis

Susan Muhammad and Ali Asghar

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Abstract

The development of high yielding varieties of cotton with high fiber quality highly relies on the selection of genetically diverse and superior parental lines. Estimation of combining ability is a key factor in the selection of parents for hybridization. During crop season 2023, Cotton lines namely Tipo-1, C-1, FH-Super, CIM-600, and FH-444 were crossed by using full Diallel mating design in the greenhouse of Plant Breeding and Genetics Department, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Twenty-five crosses and five parental genotypes were planted in the field in two replications using a randomized block design. Data was calculated for different yield parameter sympodial branches, monopodial branches, number of bolls per plant, plant height, seed cotton yield, seed index, seed weight, lint index, boll weight, ginning out turn of cotton crop. The recorded data were analyzed statistically using Griffing's approach for the estimation of general and specific combining abilities. The parents FH-444, CIM-600 and Tipo-1 showed superior general combining ability (GCA) for most of the traits. The crosses Tipo-1 × C-1, Tipo-1 × FH-444 and C-1 × FH-444 exhibited high specific combining ability (SCA). The Crosses FH-super × Tipo-1, FH-444 × CIM-600 and FH-444 × CIM-600 showed good reciprocal combining ability (RCA) for most of the traits. Most of the characters were found to be under the control of dominance gene action. This information may be helpful to identify suitable parents and hybrids for future breeding programs.