Combining ability and heterosis for seed cotton yield, its components and fibre quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The investigation was carried out to estimate combining ability, heterosis and hybrids suitable for recombination breeding for seed cotton yield, yield components and fibre quality traits designed among 13 parents and 40 hybrids developed through line × tester method. The analysis of variance indicated substantial variability among the experimental material for yield, its components and fibre quality traits. All the characters were predominantly controlled by non-additive gene action. Four parents namely TCH 1819, TSH 0499, SVPR 2 and SVPR 5 were identified as very good general combiners for most of the yield and fibre quality traits. The cross combinations, TCH 1819 × TSH 0499, TCH 1819 × MCU 7, KC 2 × SVPR 4, TCH 1818 × SVPR 5, TCH 1818 × SVPR 2 and TCH 1818 × CO 14 were identified as the best hybrids and these are well suited for exploitation through heterosis breeding as it recorded highest per se performance, significant sca effects and standard heterosis for important yield components and fibre quality traits. Besides, the crosses viz., TCH 1819 × SVPR 5 and TCH 1819 × SVPR 4 could be recommended for recombination breeding as they satisfied the presence of significant gca effects of the parents and non significant sca effects.