Abstract

                                Combing ability analysis was carried out in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentuin Mill.) in a 9X9 diallel crosses including nine parents and 36 F, hybrids, excluding the reci procals. The mean squares of general combining ability (n.c.a.) were higher than that of specific combining ability (s.c.a.) for all the characters studied except for number of primary" branches. The parent Pusa Ruby had the maximum positive g.c.a. effect for early yield and highest negative g.c.a. effect for days to fruit ripening. The parent S1, 120 had maximum negative g.c.a. effect for days to flowering. The parents Marglobe. Roma and Pusa Early Dwarf showed maximum positive g.c.a. effects for totat yield, number of fruits per plant and average weight of fruit, respectively. The cross Momor X Puss, Early Dwarf, geve the highest positive s.c.a. effect for total yield. In general. it was observed that good gene- ral combiners for trait also had good perse performance and the crosses showing high 5.c.a. effects had atleast one of the parents having high g.c.a.

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