Combining Ability Studies Involving Male Sterile Lines in Pigeonpea

Combining ability and genetic variance for nine quantitative traits in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) were estimated through line x tester analysis involving three male-sterile lines, 18 pollinators and 54 F1 hybrids. The male-sterile lines and pollinators differed for their GCA for almost all the characters. Additive gene effects were predominant for the inheritance of plant height, pods per plant and seed size, whereas non-additive gene effects appeared to be more important for rest of the characters. Among females ms Prabhat (DT) was a good combiner for early maturity, plant height, number of primary branches, seeds per pod, seed size and grain yield. Pollinators such as AL 688 and AF 276 were observed to be high combiners for early maturity, heigher number of pods and higher grain yield. The three top yielding hybrids viz. PMS 1 x AF 276, ms Prabhat (DT) x AL 688 and PMS 1 x AL 201 also exhibited high SCA effects for seed yield and these experimental hybrids involved parents with high GCA effects.