Combining Ability for Yield and Its Components in Diallel Crosses of Cotton

Abstract

One of the objectives of this study was to estimate gene action and the type of inheritance of investigated traits in cotton. Another objective was to evaluate general combining ability of parents and special combining ability of F₁ diallel crosses and to select the superior F₁s that can be used in future breeding programs of cotton. Additive and dominant components were found significant for investigated traits. Number of bolls and lint percentages were effective in the control of additive type of gene action with partial dominance, but seed-cotton yield was also effective in the control of additive type of gene action with over-dominance. Greater parents were ‘Paum-15’ and ‘Stoneville-453’ for the number of bolls and the seed-cotton yield; ‘Stoneville-453’ and ‘Nazilli-84S’ for the lint percentage. Greater cross combinations were ‘Paum-15’ x ‘Stoneville-453’; ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Nazilli-84S’; ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Fantom’; ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Delcerro’ and ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Giza-45’ diallel crosses for the number of bolls; ‘Paum-15’ x ‘Nazilli-84S’, ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Fantom’, ‘Nazilli-84S’ x ‘Delcerro’ and ‘Nazilli-84S’ x ‘Giza-45’ diallel cross for the lint percentage, ‘Paum-15’ x ‘Stoneville-453’, ‘Paum-15’ x ‘Nazilli-84S’, ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Nazilli-84S’, ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Fantom’, ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Delcerro’, ‘Stoneville-453’ x ‘Giza-45’, ‘Nazilli-84S’ x ‘Fantom’ and ‘Nazilli-84S’ x ‘Delcerro’ diallel crosses for the seed-cotton yield.