Combining ability in the Fl and F2 generations of dialles cross in macaroni wheat (Triticum durum desf.)

Combining ability analysis in macaroniwheat (Triticum durum Desf.) involving 10 diverse parents and their 45 F1 and F2 progenies indicated significant differences for gca among the parents, and for sea in crosses for all the characters studied, except for sca for straw yield in F2. Additive variance (σ2) was higher than the dominance (σ2 D) for all the characters, except for tillers/plantand grainyield, indicatingthe predominance of additive geneaction for the traits studied. Among the parents, JNK-4W-184, A-9-30-1 and Storck's were good general combiners for grain yield and also high to average combiners for most of the yield components. The cross Cocorit 71 X A-9-30-1 was consistently good specific combiner for grain yield in both generations. Most of the good specific crosses for grain yield involved Indian and exotic genotypes. Such crosses could be explored further for improvement in the grain yield of durum wheat through the combinations of desirable yield components. Biparental mating and/or multiple crosses are recommended in view of significance of both additive and nonadditive gene effects to get tangible advancements.