Heterosis and combining ability studies for grain yield and its components in wheat

Six lines and three testers in bread wheat were evaluated for fifteen quantitative traits along with their 18 crosses.Significant differences were observed for both general combining ability and specific combining ability effects.RAJ-2184 found to be good general combiner for most of the traits.The cross combinations namely, DPW-621-50 × CPAN-1796 and RAJ-2184 × WL-410 were found to be most significant for yield traits.On the basis of per se performance and estimates of heterosis, the cross PBW-65×WL-410 was identified as most promising followed by PBW-65 × WH-416, PBW-65 × CPAN-1796, DPW-621× CPAN-1796 and DPW-621-50 × WH-416 for grain yield per plant.The above best parents and best crosses can be used in hybridization and heterosis breeding, respectively.