EXPLORATION OF COMBINING ABILITY IN UPLAND COTTON

Combining ability analysis for five quantitative traits was studied through 6x6 diallel cross of upland cotton. Both additive and non-additive gene effects were important in the inheritance of most of the traits. The parent SD-16 displayed high GCA effects for plant height and number of bolls per plant, whereas parent SD-12 gave high GCA effects for number of sympodial branches, parent SD-13 depicted high GCA effects for boll weight and seed cotton yield per plant. These parents may be utilized as general combiners for their respective traits. Regarding specific combining ability effects for seed cotton yield, highest SCA estimates were recorded from hybrid SD-14 x SD-15 hence this particular hybrid may be utilized for producing hybrid seed and developing new cotton varieties for high yield.