Determination of Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression for Yield and Its Component Traits in Green Gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the magnitude of the heterosis and inbreeding depression for traits of economic importance at F1 and F2 generations of twenty-four crosses of green gram. Study of heterosis in green gram is important for the plant breeder to find out the superior crosses in first generation itself. In addition to this, the magnitude of heterosis provides basis for determining genetic diversity and also serves as guide to the choice of desirable parents. A total of 24 crosses including both F1s and F2s of green gram along with ten parents were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications at the Brahmanand Mahavidyalaya Rath (Hamirpur), Uttar Pradesh during zaid, 2018. Heterosis over mid parent and better parent was significant to highly significant for seed yield/plant along with other attributing traits. The crosses exhibiting high heterosis also expressed high inbreeding depression both in the positive and negative direction for days to 50% flowering, pods/plant, pods/cluster, harvest index and seed yield/plant. Use of heterosis breeding may be promising for yield improvement in green gram as the heterosis for yield was the result of cumulative occurrence of heterosis for branches per plant, pods/cluster, clusters per plant, pods/plant, and biological yield, seeds/pod and harvest index. A few cycles of recurrent selection following the pedigree method would be effective and useful in utilizing all types of gene effects by maintaining considerable heterozygosity through the mating of selected plants in early segregating generations.