Heterosis and combining ability analysis for yield and yield contributing traits in velvet bean Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC

A field experiment was conducted to know the gene action and selection of superior parents of velvet bean for hybridization. The heterosis and combining ability study was carried out using 6x6 half diallel mating design excluding reciprocals. Combining ability analysis revealed that magnitude of sca variance was greater than gca variance suggesting the predominance of non additive gene action for most of the traits except days to 50 per cent flowering, number of flowers per inflorescence, number of pods per bunch and 100 seed weight where gca variance was greater than sca variance indicating predominance of additive gene action. Based on gca effects, parents Arka Dhanwantari, IIHR Selection 8 and IIHR Selection 2 were best general combiners for the traits such as number of flowers per inflorescence, pod length, pod weight, number of bunches per plant, number of pods per bunch, dry pod yield and seed yield per plant which can be used in future breeding programme. Specific combining ability studies indicated cross IIHR Selection 2 x IIHR Selection 8 as best specific combiner for the economically important traits viz., pod length, pod weight, dry pod yield per plant and seed yield per plant. The cross IIHR Selection 8 x IIHR Selection 3 was recorded high heterotic effects for dry pod yield per plant, seed yield per plant and test weight of the seed. The cross IIHR Selection 2 x IIHR Selection 8 as superior hybrid as recorded high heterobeltiosis for days to 50% flowering, pod length, pod weight, dry pod yield per plant and seed yield per plant and days to maturity which can be exploited in future breeding programme.