Combining ability studies for forage quality traits and forage yield in diallel crosses of oats (Avena sativa L.).

Studies in oats (Avena sativa L.) were carried out to generate information on combining ability (general and specific), nature and magnitude of gene effects and heterosis for forage quality and yield. The experimental material comprised of 10 diverse parents and 45 F1 crosses (excluding reciprocals) generated through a 10 x 10 diallel mating design. Significant interaction between combining ability effects were observed for all the quality traits and yield. The estimates of additive variance were higher in magnitude than their corresponding dominance variance estimates indicating the role of additive gene action, except green forage yield and dry matter yield. Estimates of GCA effects for crude protein content% indicated that the parent SKO-213 for neutral detergent fibre (NDF), parent SKO-210 for acid detergent fibre (ADF), parent SKO- 204 for crude fibre (CF), parent SKO-208 for ash content, parent SKO-207 for green forage yield, parent SKO-212 for dry matter yield were having highly significant and desirable GCA effects for these traits. Cross combinations viz., SKO-212 X SKO-213, SKO-204 X SKO-211, SKO-205 X Sabzaar, Sabzaar X SKO-212 and SKO-205 X SKO-211 exhibited high and desirable sca and heterobeltiosis effects simultaneously for all the quality traits, green forage yield and dry matter yield ha-1.