Identifying superior parents and hybrids for certain quantitative traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under sodic soils

The present investigation entitled “Studies on genetic variability, combining ability and heterosis in aromatic and non-aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L.) unersodic soil. The present study was based on two related experiments, namely, Germplasm evaluation (Experiment-I) and Combining ability (Experiment-II). These experiments were conducted at Main experimental farm, of the N.D. University of Agriculture & Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Ayodhya, during Kharif, 2015 and 2016. The combining ability experiment was based on evaluation of a line x tester set of 69 hybrids (F1’s) and their 26 parents along with two checks for seven characters under sodic soil condition in randomized complete block design with three replications during Kharif, 2016. The 69 F1’s were generated by crossing 23 lines with 3 testers during Kharif, 2015. Analysis of variance for combining ability revealed non-significant mean squares due to testers and lines for all the characters under study except significant mean squares observed for testers for plant height. This indicated less importance of general combining ability and additive gene effects in expression of out of 7 characters. The mean squares due to lines x testers interactions, indicating importance of specific combining ability and non-additive gene effects, were found to be highly significant for all the seven characters under study. Twenty-three out of sixty-nine crosses emerged with positive and significant sca effects for grain yield/plant. The five best crosses were Pusa Bas.-1 x Jaya, NDRK-50046 x Jaya, NDRK-50055 x Jaya, NDRK-50054 x CSR-10 and NDRK-50063 x CSR-10 which showed significant and positive sca effects for grain yield/plant as well as some other yield components.