Abstract

Study on combining ability was carried out using line x tester analysis involving 12 lines and three testers of urdbean [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]. The relative estimates of variance due to specific combining ability (sca) were found to be higher than general combining ability (gca) variances indicating predominance of non-additive gene action. The gca estimates suggested that if the yield traits are to be improved through hybridization and selection then priority should be given to the male parent Palampur-93 and female parents KU-553, TU-‘17-4, HPBU-126 and IPU-05-13. On the basis of specific combining ability (sca), KU-553 x Him Mash-1 and DU-1 x Palampur-93 were found to be potential cross combinations involving good general combiner as one of the parents; possessing resistance to anthracnose leaf spot disease. KUG-216 x Palampur-93 involved both the parents as good general combiners exhibiting superior per se performance. Thus, breeding procedures like biparental matings and/or diallel selective matings followed by pedigree method or reciprocal recurrent selections can be utilized for breaking undesirable linkages followed by the isolation of superior transgressive segregants from KU-553 x Him Mash-1, DU-1 x Palampur-93 and KUG-216 x Palampur-93.