Abstract

Estimates of the components of variation and combining ability were obtained for five yield and yield traits namely, plant height, effective tillers per plant, ear length, ear girth and yield/plant in a B * 8 diallel set of dwarf pearl millet. The genetic and combining ability analyses revealed the predominance of non-additive genetic variation in the inheritance of all the traits. Effective tillers/plant, ear length and yield/plant were under the influence of non-allelic interactions. The heritability was in general low though it was considerable for ear girth (59.32%). Parents J-1040, 23 D_{2}*B and Cassady were good general combiners for the yield components and grain yield/plant. The estimates of SCA effects for grain yield/ plant were high for the crosses J -1040* Sauna D_{2}*B Sauna D_{s}*BJ - 934 and 23 D_{4}*B * 71 B. Based on the present findings it may be suggested that involvement of parents J-1040, 23 D_{a}*B and Cassady in crosses followed by selection might result in superior derivatives.

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