Journal of Applied Horticulture. 2005: 7(2): 108-112

Combining ability estimates in virus resistant and susceptible lines of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

Venkataramana, C; Reddy, K M; Sadashiva, A T; Reddy, M K

Division of Horticulture, GKVK, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India.

Combining ability analysis of 8x8 diallel cross (including reciprocals) was carried out during kharif 2001 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India involving Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) resistant and susceptible lines of chilli. The variances for general combining ability (gca) and specific combining ability (sca) were highly significant for all the characters, suggesting the importance of both additive and non-additive gene action. The sca variance played an important role in the genetic control of days to 50% flowering, days to 50% ripening, fruit width, plant height, plant spread, number of fruits per plant, green fruit yield per plant and percent CMV incidence. On the contrary, additive gene action was observed for fruit length. The genotype VR-27 was judged to be the best general combiner for fruit yield per plant and Perennial, Punjab Lal, Punjab Gucchedar and Pant C-1 proved to be good general combiners for percent CMV incidence. The crosses Punjab Gucchedar x Pant C-1 and Tiwari x EG-174 had greater sca effect for fruit yield. These two crosses may directly be used for commercial cultivation after further testing over a range of environments. Fifteen of the twenty-eight crosses had significant reciprocal effect for green fruit yield per plant. Hence, the influence of maternal effect on the economic traits is evident in the present material.