Heterosis Studies for Seed Cotton Yield and Its Component Traits in Cotton

Aim: The objective of present investigation was to estimate average heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for seed cotton yield and its contributing traits. Design: In present investigation six lines were crossed with five testers to get thirty hybrids in Line x Tester mating design. The data is analysed as per randomized block design with two replications. Place of Study: The sum total of thirty crosses, eleven parents with one check were evaluated in randomized block design with two replications during Kharif 2024 at Cotton Research Station, Mahboob Baugh Farm, VNMKV, Parbhani. Methodology: The observations were recorded on twelve seed cotton yield and yield contributing and fibre characters viz., days to50 per cent flowering, plant height(cm), number of sympodia per plant, number of bolls per plant, boll weight (g), seed cotton yield per plant (g), days to maturity, ginning outturn (%), Upper half mean length(mm), fibre fineness/micronaire value (g/inch), fibre strength (g/tex) and uniformity ratio. Analysis of variance for mean sum of squares revealed significant differences for all the twelve characters examined. The magnitude of heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis is in the present study were found highly significant for all the characters studied. Results: The magnitude of heterosis was highest for seed cotton yield per plant, which was recorded to the extent of 33.67% over standard check PA810 in the cross combination PA08xPA955. The cross combinations PA 08 X PA 955, PA 812 X PA 950 and JLА 505 Х PA 960 exhibited significant and desirable standard heterosis for most of the seed cotton yield and its contributing traits. Conclusion: The hybrid JLA 505 X PA 785 was found highly heterotic for seed cotton yield and fibre quality traits. The hybrid indicated potential for exploiting hybrid vigour through heterosis breeding.