COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS IN LENTIL

Combining ability analysis, involving 10 lines of different ecogeographic origin and three well adapted and released varieties as testers, was carried out for eight characters in lentil. The variances due to gca and sca showed that gene action was predominantly additive for days to first flower, plant height, primary branches/plant, and seeds/pod; and primarily nonadditive for secondary branches/plant, pods/plant, 100-seed weight, and yield/plant. Among the parents, Pusa 4 was good general combiner for yield/plant, days to first flower, seeds/pod, and 100-seed weight, and average general combiner for all the remaining characters. The variety Ranjan was good general combiner for yield/plant and days to first flower. The cross EC 151015 XK 75 had significant positive sea effects for yield and some of its components.