HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY STUDIES IN OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) FOR FRUIT YIELD CHARACTERS

The present investigation was set up to study the heterosis and combining ability in okra by using six lines and four testers as parents with 24 cross combinations obtained from line x tester mating pattern. Significant differences in mean performance for all the observed characters represented high genetic variability among the parents. The estimates of general and specific combining ability variances informed the preponderance of non-additive gene action for almost all the traits except internodal length. The GCA effects that the testers Arka Anamika (16.13 g) and Pusa Sawani (-18.77 g), lines Elephant tusk okra (63.78 g) and Thiruchengode local (20.76 g) exhibited desirable positive GCA for yield and its relative traits. The SCA effects estimated that the crosses Elephant tusk okra x Arka Anamika (72.71g), Thiruchengode local x Pusa Sawani (44.45 g) and Bommidi long okra x Parbhani Kranti (28.56 g) figured out as best specific combiners as they had significant positive standard heterosis for most of the yield-related attributes under study.