Combining ability analysis for grain yield and yield contributing characters using cytoplasmic male sterility in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Thirteen genotypes of rice (three lines and ten testers) with thirty F1s, develop through line x tester mating design to estimate general and specific combining ability variances and their effects. On the basis of desirable general combining ability IR 58025A was found good general combiner for earliness, dwarfness, total number of tillers per plant and number of panicle bearing tillers per plant. PMS 10A exhibited superior combining ability for number of fertile spikelet per panicle, panicle weight, test weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index. PMS 8A was found a poor general combiner for all characters. Among testers, NDRK 5026 followed by NDRK 5028 was found good general combiner for most of the characters. Other testers in this study were poor combiner for grain yield and its major components. Among the thirty hybrids studied, PMS 10A x NDRK 5028, IR58025A x Annada, IR58025A x Sarjoo 52 exhibited high specific combining ability effects for grain yield and biological yield, while PMS 10A x Jaya, PMA 10A x NDRK 5028 and PMS 8A x Vikas showed high sca effects for earliness and dwarfness. None of the cross exhibited high specific combining ability effects for all the characters together.