Genetic Effects Assessment through Line × Tester Combining Ability for Development of Promising Hybrids Based on Quantitative Traits in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Line × Tester combining ability analysis involving five lines insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(cultivars i.e., CIM-446, CIM-473, CIM-506, CIM-554 and SLH-284); and three testers insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(cultivars viz., CIM-496, CIM-499 and CIM-707); was carried out during 2015 and 2016 to determine the inheritance for earliness, yield and lint traits in upland cotton. Genotypes revealed significant insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P≤0.01); variations for all the traits. On average, F1 hybrids showed the significant increase over parental means for yield traits. Mean squares due to general insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GCA); and specific combining ability insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(SCA); were highly significant, which suggested that additive and non-additive gene actions were involved in controlling all the characters. However, the preponderance of non-additive type of gene action observed for majority of the traits. Lines insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(SLH-284, CIM-473); and pollinators insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(CIM-707, CIM-496); were leading general combiners for majority of the traits. F1 hybrids insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(CIM-473 × CIM-496, SLH-284 × CIM-707 and CIM446 × CIM-496); which involve best general combiners, showed the leading performance for yield and lint traits. Heritability was moderate to high with appreciable genetic gain for majority of the traits. Except for lint %, the correlation of seed cotton yield was positive with other traits. The significance of additive and non-additive components suggested integrated breeding strategies with delayed selection for development of cotton hybrids with improvement in earliness and seed cotton yield.