Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STUDY OF HETEROSIS FOR YIELD AND GRAIN QUALITY TRAITS INBARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE L.)

B.S. Meena, A. Dashora, N.S. Dodiya, Dinesh Kumar and R.P.S. Verma

Abstract

Twenty-nine barley genotypes including fifteen crosses, commercial cultivars and elite (exotic) lines wereevaluated to estimate the magnitude of heterosis. Significant mean square due to genotype were observedfor days to maturity, effective tillers per plant, spike length, no. of grains per spike, grain yield per plant,hectoliter weight (kg/hl), grain bold grain %, husk content (%), protein content (%) and starch content (%).Crosses IBON HI 19-94 x RD 2899 followed by IBON HI 19-110 x RD 2786 and IBON HI 19-82 x RD 2035exhibited desirable positive significant heterosis, heterobeltiosis, economic heterosis for grain yield, tillersper plant, spike length, no. of grains per spike and bold grain (%). Therefore, above crosses may be observedas promising types for tangible advancement for yield potential and bold grain. IBON HI 19-82 x RD 2035revealed significant economic heterosis for hectoliter weight, bold grains, husk content and protein contentalong with grain yield. The study revealed good scope for commercial exploitation of heterosis as well asisolation of transgressive segregants among the progenies of heterotic F1 for improvement of yield andgrain quality.