Exploitation of Hybrid vigour among interspecific crosses of Gossypium arboreum L. and Gossypium herbaceum L.

Twenty four inter specific desi cotton hybrids developed in a line x tester were studied to find out the extent of heterosis for 14 different characters viz., yield, days to flowering, plant height, sympodia per plant, bolls per plant, boll weight, seed index, lint index, ginning per cent, micronaire value, uniformity ratio, bundle strength, 2.5 per cent span length and elongation ratio. There was appreciable heterosis for all the traits studied. The best performing F1 hybrid, AH 60 x RAHS 129 showed the highest mid parent heterosis and heterobeltiosis. For seed cotton yield per plant, heterosis ranged from 33.61 to 431.32 and —18.08 to 426.36 per cent over mid parent and better parents respectively. The hybrid, AH 60 x RAHS 129 found to be superior for seven traits while the crosses AH 56 x G. Cot. 17 and AH 56 x RAHS 129 registered superiority for six and five different traits, respectively.