Combining ability analysis for yield and yield components in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Combining ability for eleven characters was studied in sesame using 10 lines viz., ES-246, AT-24, SPS-19, BAVJ-1, TNAU-2, Kalyanpur-2, Mota Liliya-1, Ingorola-7, SI-968 and Timbi-3 as females and 4 testers RT-125, Guj. Til-1, Guj. Til-2 and Guj. Til-10 as males crossed in line x tester mating design. Combining ability analysis revealed predominance of non-additive gene action for all the characters viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height, number of effective branches per plant, number of capsules per plant, capsule length, days to maturity, number of seeds per capsule, 1000-seed weight, yield per plant, harvest index and oil content which can be improved by bi-parental mating or reciprocal recurrent selection. The female parents ES-246, BAVJ-1, Kalyanpur-2, Ingorola-7 and male parent Guj. Til-1 were found as the good general combiners for seed yield per plant. The cross combinations Timbi-3 x Guj. Til-10, TNAU-2 x Guj. Til-2 and SI-968 x Guj. Til-2 showed high per se performance and significant sca effects for yield per plant, such crosses would be exploited for future use.