Gene action and combining analyisis for yield and its attributing traits in forage Sorghum [Sorghum Bicolor(L.) Moench]

The experiment in forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] was carried out in RandomizedBlock Design (RBD) with three_replications to study gene action and combining ability of nine females and three males with their 27 FI’s for fodder yield, its quality and other yield related traits. The ratio of olgca /o2sca was found less than unity for all the traits under study, suggesting greater role of non-additive genetic variance in the inheritance of all these traits. The parents, DSF-123, DSF-138 and DSF-146 were found good general combiners for green fodder yield per plant and its contributing traits viz. number of leaves per plant, leaf width, brix %, dry matter yield per plant and leaf area. On the basis of sea effects, the crosses DSF-130 x CSV 21 F,DSF-140 x GFS 5 and DSF-138 x CSV 21 F were found promising for green fodder yield per plant. These crosses were also manifested high sea values for its contributing traits viz. plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf width, brix %, dry matter yield per plant and leaf area. The crosses exhibiting high sea effects for green fodder yield per plant involved average x average or good x average combining parents. Better performance of these hybrids for green fodder yield per plant reflected involvement of interaction of dominant and epistasis type of gene action.