Combining Ability Analysis for Seed Yield and Attributing Traits in Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

A complete set of 79 entries comprising of twelve parents, their 66 F1s and one check RLC-92 were evaluated during rabi 2020-21 at two locations i.e., ARS, Dahod, and BTRS, Anand, under two dates of sowing i.e., 2nd fortnight of October and 1st fortnight of November. The present study aimed to investigate the combining ability analysis over environments for seed yield and attributing traits in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.). Among the all four environments, E1 had higher mean value for seed yield per plant and all other important yield contributing traits by sowing in second fortnight at Dahod conditions best for linseed cultivation. Combining ability analysis revealed importance of both additive and non-additive variances with prime role of non-additive genetic variance for seed yield per plant and its related traits in all environments as well as pooled over environments suggesting heterosis breeding would be more useful for development of superior hybrids if sterility system available. Among the parents; Shekhar, GS 384, KB 9610 and K 29 were good general combiners for seed yield per plant and test weight and capsules per plant. The parent viz., IPI 10, H 45, GS 384 and RLC 133 were good general combiners for earliness. The cross Indira × ILS 264, Gaurav × H 45 and RLC 133 × Shekhar showed higher sca effects for seed yield and test weight. Most of the crosses with high per se performance involved at least one good general combining parent such as Shekhar, GS 384, KB 9610 and K 29 through out for all studied characters.