Combining Ability Analysis for Yield and Processing Qualities in White Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

Eight diverse white onions parents were selected and crossed in half diallel fashion in order to determine the combining ability to identify promising hybrids for nine traits including yield and processing quality. Analysis of variance for general and specific combining ability revealed that GCA and SCA variances were significant (p<0.05) for all characters. Among the parents exotics JV16 and JV12 was proved to be a good general combiner for yield and processing quality characters. Among the crosses AF x JV12, was best specific combination for bulb weight, bulb diameter, total soluble solids, per cent bolting, per cent doubles, pungency and yield. It is evident from present investigation that the hybrids combinations AF x JV12, PW x JV12, J16 x JV12 and PS x JV12 exhibited the high per se performance and SCA effect for bulb yield and processing quality characters could be advanced by selecting desirable segregants and recombinants in each generation for funneling the new genotype or using further advanced breeding programme.