Heterosis for seed yield and its components in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

A study was conducted in sesame to assess the extent of heterosis for fourteen quantitative traits including seed yield per plant. Two lines and ten testers were crossed in a line x tester fashion to develop 20 F1 hybrids. The analysis of variance revealed that highly significant differences among hybrids for all characters except length of capsule, weight of capsule and oil content and significant differences among parents for all characters except for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, height to first capsule and number of capsules per leaf axil, indicating the presence of sufficient amount of genetic diversity for these traits. Heterosis was worked-out over better parent and standard variety, GJT-5. The standard heterosis for seed yield per plant ranged from -35.34 to 17.71 %. The cross G.Til-3 x DS 21 were good heterotic combinations for seed yield per plant, which recorded 17.71 % standard heterosis and 25.69% heterobeltiosis respectively. The heterosis for seed yield per plant was associated with the heterosis expressed by its component characters.