A Line × Tester analysis for some seed cotton yield and fiber quality traits in upland cotton

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to estimate general combining ability (GCA) of the parents and specific combining ability (SCA) of crosses for the development of high yielding cotton varieties. The study was carried out at the experimental area of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. A line × tester analysis was made to identify the superior general and specific combiners for seed cotton yield and fiber quality traits in upland cotton. Five lines/females (FH-114, FH-1000, CIM-448, CIM-707, NIAB-111) and three testers/males (TH-41-83, Cocker-307 and Allepo-41) were crossed to develop 15 F1 hybrids. These genotypes were evaluated along with parents in RCBD with three replications. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) mean squares for seed cotton yield, lint percentage, fiber fineness, fiber strength and fiber length were significant. The fiber fineness showed greater importance of additive gene effect while seed cotton yield, lint percentage, fiber strength and fiber length exhibited non additive genetic effects. Parents FH-114 and NIAB-111 among lines and COKER-307 from testers were found as good general combiners for most of the traits. Hence, these parents proved worth to be used in hybridization and selection program for extracting desirable plants from segregating population. F₁ crosses CIM-707 × COKER-307, CIM-707 × ALLEPO-41 and FH-1000 × COKER-307, by and large, exhibited their superiority for all traits studied and were noted as the best specific combiners. Therefore, these crosses may be preferred to improve several traits simultaneously by selection or may be used for hybrid cotton crop development