Heterosis and Combining Ability Estimation in Hexaploid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with the Feasibility of Developing F1 Hybrid in Half Diallel Mating Design

During 2019-20, and 2020-21 present study was carried out at Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib’s Experimental Farm, Department ofAgriculture. Experimental materials comprising 15 F1s using half diallel mating design involving six parents(HD 1981, PBW 343, CPAN3004, RAJ 2184, PBW 154, and PBW 65) collected from IIWBR (Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research) New Delhi, India and onecheck (HD 2967) was grown in RBD. The variance due to parents was highly significant for most of the traits. Variances due to crosseswere significant for all the traits. Estimation of heterosis, PBW 343 x CPAN 3004 was cross found to be most promising for grain yield/plant. General combing ability (GCA) effects revealed that PBW 65 followed by CPAN 3004 having significant and positive GCA effectsand PBW 65 was observed as the best combiner for yielding characters as no. of grain/plant and on the basis of Specific combiningability (SCA), PBW 154 x PBW 65, PBW 343 x CPAN 3004 and HD 1981 x PBW 65 were recorded best specific combinations for higheryield. The above parents and crosses can be used in hybridization and heterosis breeding.