Deciphering combining ability under heat stress conditions in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell)
Tushadri Singh, JP Jaiswal and Ashish Sheera
This study aimed to decipher the combining ability of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) genotypes under heat stress conditions using line × tester analysis. Three lines (BRW3723, WH1142, RAJ4402) and three testers (HPW381, CPAN3061, Sup132/BaJ) were crossed to produce nine hybrids. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Significant genetic variability was observed for all traits studied, including plant height, number of tillers per plant, days to 50% flowering, spikelets per spike, days to maturity, and 1000 grain weight. Analysis of variance revealed significant GCA and SCA effects, underscoring the importance of both additive and non-additive genetic variances. RAJ4402 exhibited significant positive GCA effects for traits such as number of tillers and 1000 grain weight, indicating its potential as a good general combiner. The cross BRW3723 × Sup132/BaJ showed the highest positive SCA effect for plant height, suggesting a promising hybrid combination. These findings highlight the potential for developing heat-tolerant wheat varieties by selecting superior parent combinations. The study provides valuable insights for wheat breeding programs aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on wheat production.
