Heterosis and inbreeding depression for grain yield and yield contributing characters in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

 The present investigation on heterosis and inbreeding depression in wheat was carried out at the Crop Research Farm of CSAUA&T, Nawabganj, Kanpur, U.P., India, during the Rabi crop season 2019-20. A ten parental half-diallel cross comprising of 45 F1 s and 45 F2 s together with parents was grown in three replications. The outcome of better parent heterosis revealed that the cross combinations, namely, HD3086 x HD-2733, HD3086 x K0307, HD3086 x HD2967, HD3086 x K1601, and HD2967 x K0402 exhibited positive and high heterosis for grain yield. In the case of economic heterosis over the check (HD2967), the cross combination viz. HD3086 x K0307, HD3086 x HD2967, HD-967 x K0402, HD2967 x K1601, and HD2967 x K1314 exhibited significant and positive heterosis for grain yield. Inbreeding depression for grain yield ranged from 1.51 (DH 29767 x K 8962) to 8.95 (DBW 88 x K 8962) percent. For grain yield, out of the 45 crosses, all combinations exhibited significant and positive inbreeding depression in F2. The cross combinations may be used to increase grain yield and to produce better transgressive segregants for future breeding programs to maintain the specific gene pool of bread wheat.