Abstract

A 6 x 6 diallel analysis involving six rice genotypes viz., Bhavani, MDU 3, IET 6262, IET 6709, IET 7552 and IET 9239 showed both general and specific combining ability variances significant for all the characters including ratooning ability. GCA variances were higher than SCA variances for all the traits and indicated the predominance of additive gene action. The parents IET 6709, IET 7552 and Bhavani possessed favourable genes for most of the traits and may be combined through recombination breeding to realize high ratoon yield as seen from high mean and significant gea effects. The hybrids Bhavani/ET 6262, Bhavani/IET 6709,1ET 6709/IET 7552 and IET 6262/IET 6709 possessed high per se performance and sca effects for the traits regenerated tiller number, productive tiller number per plant besides ratoon yield and may be exploited in heterosis breeding.

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