Breeding Value and Combining Ability Studies in Durum Wheat Bhullar G. S., Brar S. P. S., Gill K. S. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 001, India Abstract Studies on combining ability for eight characters in a diallel cross involving ten genetically diverse varieties/lines of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) in the Fa and for grain yield only in the F1 and F4 are reported. Both the general and specific combining ability variances were significant for all the evaluated characters, viz. grain yield, spike number, grain number, grain weight, spike length, spikelet number, plant height and peduncle length in the F2 and for the only evaluated trait grain yield in the F1 and F4 respectively. In the case of F2, the specific combining ability components of variances were higher than the general combining ability components of variances ? for grain yield, spike number, grain weight and peduncle length while for grain number, spike length, spikelet number and plant height the general combining ability components of variances were of higher magnitude. In the F1 and F4 the specific combining ability component of variance was higher for the only evaluated trait grain yield per plant. The best general combiners observed for grain yield and certain component traits also were, Pinguino V, Gr V—Plc ‘s’, (61-130-Lds)/Gil V) Bo ‘s’, WL 1002 and AA ‘s’— Christ Dicle offering possibilities of exploitation for the development of improved durum lines. The cross combinations Stork ‘s’ X Pinguino ‘s’, Gr ‘s’—Plc ‘s’ X Punguino ‘s’, (61-130-Lds) Gil ‘s’) Bo ‘s’ x Gr ‘s’—Plc ‘s’, (61-130-Lds)/Gil ‘s’) Bo ‘s’ X H1 7747, (61-130-Lds)/GU ‘s’) Bo ‘s’ X Pinguino ‘s’, Jo ‘s’—Gr ‘s’ X AA ‘s’/Ld-Tca-Gll ‘s’ and HI 7747 X WL 1002 having shown consistently high specific effects both in the F2 and F4 for grain yield and for its one or two primary components in the Fa hold promise for exploitation. The possibility of making reliable combining ability estimates in the Fa has been indicated. In view of parallel role of both additive and non-additive genetic effects determining the inheritance of different attributes, their simultaneous exploitation through adoption of bipearental approach/early generation matings has been advocated. Top |