Identification of best combiners for development of castor hybrids under irrigated conditions

Abstract

Sixty hybrids developed from 6 lines and 10 testers in a line x tester mating design were evaluated under irrigated and intensive 
cultivation at Regional Research Station, Anand Agriculture University, Anand, Gujarat. Analysis of variance for combining 
ability depicted considerable variation among the lines and testers and also lines x testers for seed yield and yield attributing 
characters.  The ratio of GCA and SCA variance was low and close to unity for all the characters studied, indicating the 
predominance of the non-additive gene action for all the characters studied. DPC-21 was the best general combiner for seed 
yield, early maturity, effective primary spike length, hundred seed weight and oil content. Among 10 testers, PMC-55, PMC-9 
and PMC-18 were good combiners for seed yield. Five of the crosses JP-77-1 x PMC-4, M-619 x PMC-11, JP-77-1 x PMC-19, 
SKP-84 x PMC-9 and DPC-21 x PMC-11 were found to be superior combinations for seed yield responding better to irrigated 
and high intensive cropping conditions.