COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS THROUGH LINE × TESTER ANALYSIS IN OPIUM POPPY (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM L.)

Line × tester analysis involving 15 lines and 4 testers in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) was carried out to access combining ability and heterosis with respect to latex yield and related components. The significance of GCA and SCA variances was evident from mean squares of all the seven traits indicating that additive as well as non-additive genes controlled the traits, yet additive genes were more important than the dominant genes for latex yield because variance due to GCA was higher than that of SCA. Among the female lines, I.S.41, SPS-32, SPS-45 and among testers T2 were better general combiner for latex yield and most other important traits. The hybrid SL11 (I.S.41) × T3 with highest SCA effect followed by SL15 (3004A) × T2 were better for latex yield. The line I.S.30 and I.S.44 having high negative GCA effect were important for dwarfness. The GCA effect of line I.S.41 was better for earliness and latex yield. The GCA effect of line SPS-45 was high for number of capsule and I.S.16 for less number capsule. The negative GCA effect of line I.S.44 was responsible for short plant height and peduncle length. The hybrid SL4 (I.S.5) × T2 was having high SCA effect for capsule index and negative GCA for line 3004A. The SCA effect for flower initiation for cross SL8 (I.S.16) × T2, SL11 (I.S.41) × T2 for days to flower, GCA effect for lines SPS-24, SPS-36 and IS-5 for days to flower may be useful material for earliness. The high useful SCA effect for dwarfness was in cross SL8 (I.S.16) × T2 and SL8 (I.S.16) × T4 for tallness. The parents involved in hybrid as promising were high × poor SL11 (I.S.41) × T3 and poor × high SL15 (3004A) × T2 for latex yield and for its component character were medium × high, medium × medium and medium × poor. The non additive (dominance) variance was higher than additive variance for flower initiation, days to flower, plant height; but additive higher for latex yield. Heritability was not much high in most of the traits expect flower initiation and genetic advance also medium to poor in most of the traits. Transgressive breeding may not be useful; heterosis breeding may be better choice. Multiple or reciprocal recurrent crossing which exploit both additive and non additive gene effects may be useful for genetic improvement of studied characters. Breeding methods i.e. bi-parental mating and or diallel selective mating, which accumulate favourable genes in homozygous state or helps in breaking linkage blocks, generating maximum variability for further selection, may be used in such situation in opium poppy.