COMBINING ABILITY AND HETEROSIS FOR PROTEIN AND METHIONINE CONTENT IN LENTIL (LENS CULINARIS)

Abstract

Combining ability and heterosis were studied in line Xtester crosses between 10 female and 3 male parents for protein and methionine content in lentil. The gca and sca variances showed that gene action was predominantly nonadditive for both characters. The varieties Ranjan, Precoz and Pusa4were good general combiners for protein and methionine content (both in protein and floud. Only one cross, E153 X K 75, showed significant sca effect for protein content. Two crosses, NDL 1 X Pant L 234 and IC 78415 X Pant L 406 were good specific combinations for methionine content alone (in protein as well as floud. BP heterosis ranged from -13.0 to 12.2% for protein content. The BP heterosis ranged from 18.6 to 27.20/. and from - 24.0 to 47.6% for methionine content in protein and flour, respectively.