Line × Tester Analysis for Seed Yield and its Components in Castor (Ricinus Communis L.)

A line × tester set was obtained by crossing 3 females (100% pistillate lines) with; 20 diverse males in castor. Sixty F1 along with their parents were evaluated for 10 quantitative characters under north Gujarat conditions. Additive genetic variance predominantly governed the expression of days to flowering, days to maturity, total and effective branches, and 100-seed weight, whereas nonadditive genetic variance chiefly controlled the inheritance of seed yield, plant height, nodes up to primary spike, length of primary spike, and number of capsules on primary spike. Variety VP 1 was a superior female parent for seed yield, total and effective branches, and 100-seed weight. Varieties VH 28/2, J1 16, and J1 21 were good general combiners for seed yield and several yield components, whereas EC 103745 and 1379 were good combiners for earliness and dwarfness. Crosses CNES I × VH 28/2, CNES 1 × 201, JP 58 × GAUCH 1, JP 58 × 2-73-11, JP 58 × J1 16, and VP 1 × EC 103745 exhibited desirable sca effects and can be exploited by further breeding for developing superior genotypes in castor.