Archives

The present study was performed to evaluate the heterosis effects for economic and fibre quality traits of 60 hybrids were obtained from a line x tester analysis of crosses involving fifteen female parents and four male parents along with a check hybrid HHH 223. The heterosis was observed for number of seeds per boll, seed index, lint index, ginning outturn, 2.5 per cent span length, fibre strength, micronaire value, fibre uniformity and seed cotton yield per plant. The results showed that range of economic heterosis varied from -18.18 to 20.45% of number of seeds per boll, 1.58 to 32.91% of seed index, 11.15 to 31.85% of lint index, -11.06 to 3.37% of ginning outturn, -6.32 to 8.80% of 2.5 per cent span length, -2.73 to 18.27 of fibre strength, 17.69 to 21.23 of micronaire value, -2.08 to 1.66 of fibre uniformity and -60.38 to 48.32 of seed cotton yield per plant. The overall study of heterosis revealed that the better performing hybrids, H1316 X H1236 for number of seeds per boll and seed cotton yield, LH2232 x H1236 for seed index, H1300 x H1236 for lint index and ginning outturn, H1300 x H1098-i for 2.5 per cent span length and fibre strength, H1220 x H1226 for micronaire value and H1353 x H1117 for fibre uniformity. So these crosses could be exploited to improve the yield along with one or more fibre quality traits through heterosis breeding.
Keywords: Cotton, Economic heterosis, Line x tester analysis, yield and fibre quality traits.