Heterosis for earliness in pearl millet [Pennisetum Glaucum (L.) R BR.]

Analysis of variance of 11 x 11 half diallel set in E1(Kharif, 2013-Dhule), E2 (Kharif2013-Rahuri), E3(Summer, 2014-Dhule), E4(Summer, 2014-Rahuri) environments revealed significant mean sum of squares (MSS) due to treatments and its sub division (parents, hybrids and parents v/s hybrids) for days to 50% flowering and days to maturity. The parents vs. hybrids differed significantly for all characters in all four environments ’except days to maturity in E4 indicating sufficient variability among parents and hybrids which showed presence of heterosis in hybrids for these earliness traits.. Heterosis ranged from-8.24 to 3.87% and heterobeltiosis from-13.09 to 2.05% in pooled analysis for days to 50% flowering. While for days to maturity heterosis and heterobeltiosis ranged from-7.32 to 4.90% and-11.0 to 1.06%, respectively in pooled analysis. Among cross combinations, RHRBI 138 x S-12/30088 and S-12/30109 x S-12/30088 exhibited significant negative heterosis and heterobeltiosis in desirable direction for days to 50% flowering and days to maturity in all four environments. These cross combinations could be further exploited for obtaining desirable early transgressive segregants from segregating populations.