COMBINING ABILITY AND INHERITANCE OF SOME AGRONOMICAL TRAITS IN BREAD WHEAT (Triti-cum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Crosses were made between six female and seven male (6x7=42 hybrid combinations) bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars by line x tester in 1999 – 2000 growing season at Konya, a representative part of Central Anatolia, in order to study combining ability and genetic parameters for yield and yield associated characteristics. Plant height, spike length, spikelets number per spike, fertile tiller number, kernel number per spike, kernel weight per spike, 1000 kernel weight and grain yield per plant were determined in all parents and their hybrid progenies.The analysis of combining ability indicated that a large portion of the total genetic variation was associated with non-additivegene actions. Narrow sense heritabilities ranged from 0.06 (fertile tiller number) to 0.30 (spike length). Broad sense heritabilities ranged from 0.68 (1000 kernel weight) to 0.94 (plant height). Magnitude of SCA variance was more pronounced than GCA variance for all the traits. Therefore in selection, it is thought to be true that non additive gen effects and SCA’s of hybrids should be considered.