Combining ability of new Basmati fertility restorers for grain yield and its components in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

A line x tester (L x T) analysis was carried out in rice to characterize the newly identified fertility restorers of basmati type and their hybrids for general (gea) and specific (sea) combining ability. Twenty-one fertility restorers including 11 basmati type were selected after screening 45 improved germplasm collections with 4 cytosterile lines. The restorers and their hybrids were evaluated for grain yield and its component traits in a randomized block design (RBD). Of the 11 basmati type 5 were identified to be effective restorers. Restorer Basmati 385 and HKR 241 were found to be good general combiners for grain yield/plant, biomass yield/plant, 1000 grain weight and number of primaries/panicle, P1031 for 1000 grain weight and effective tillers/plant while, Karnal Local for biomass yield/plant and 1000 grain weight. Among eMS lines IR 58025A and PMS 3A were characterized as good general combiners for grain yield and other traits. The specific cross combinations characterized with high significant sea effects were IR 58025A x Basmati 385, IR 62829A x Basmati 385, IR 62829A x HKR 241 and PMS 3A x P1031-8-5-1 for grain yield/plant, biomass yield/plant and effective tillers/plant. IR 62829A x Karnal Local for 1000 grain weight, PMS 10A x SAP Khalsa 7 for days to 50% flowering and PMS 3A x HKR 241 for primaries/panicle. The gea effects of the parents were not reflected in the sea effects of the crosses in all traits studied. No generalized order of nicking among the parents to produce desirable combination was observed. Any sort of combination among the parents gave hybrid vigour over the parents which might be due to favorable dominant genes, over dominance or epistatic action of the genes.