Studies on combining ability and heterosis in three-way hybrids in forage pearl millet

Abstract

In the present study, two A CMS lines, ICMA 03333 and ICMA 01777 were crossed with 15 different 5 viz.maintainers having high biomass during kharif 2016. The thirty male sterile F s were crossed with two high 1biomass pollinators, viz. Giant Bajra and RBC-2 during Kharif 2017 to generate three-way hybrids. A total ofsixty, three-way hybrids were evaluated in summer (Environment I) and kharif (Environment II) for agronomictraits, viz. plant height (cm), green fodder yield (kg/plot) and dry fodder yield (kg/plot) and quality traits, viz. drymatter (%), In vitro dry matter digestibility (%) and crude protein (%) during kharif 2018. Significant variabilitywas present in parents and hybrids for a majority of the traits under both environments. The pooled analysis ofvariance over environments revealed that combining ability varies with the change in environments. The lines ICMA 01777 × PB 111B and the tester Giant Bajra were identified as good general combiners for green fodderyield and its component characters as well as for quality traits, under both environments. The three-wayhybrids, viz. (ICMA01777 × PB220B) × GB, (ICMA01777 × ICMB97111) × GB, (ICMA01777 × PB111B) × GB,and (ICMA01777 × ICMB00444) × GB were found to be promising cross combinations for almost all the traitsunder study. The high SCA cross combinations also showed high heterotic effects. Additive gene action waspredominant in the inheritance of yield traits, whereas for fodder quality traits non-additive gene action waspredominant.