Correlation and path coefficient analysis was carried out using 40 diverse genotypes of napier grass for 10 component characters including green fodder yield. Number of tillers per plant. number of leaves per plant, leaf weight, stem weight and leaf stem ratio had positive correlation with greza fodder yield both at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path analysis showed positive direct effects of leaf weight, stem weight, leaf stem ratio, number of tillers per plant on green fodder yield. These traits should be given more emphasis while selecting for improvement in green fodder yield.

The expression of heterosis for yield and yield attributes in a set of fortytwo cross combinations evolved from three male sterile lines and fourteen testers of sorghum was studied. Observations were recorded on six yield component character. Significant heterosis was recorded by all the hybrids over better parent for panicle length. Only five hybrids recorded significant heterosis for harvest index. For grain yield twenty hybrids showed significant and positive heterosis. The cross combinations 2077 Ax SPV 544 and 2077 Ax M35-1 were identified as the best hybrids for grain yield on the basis of heterosis.

A medium duration (115 days) and medium stature sorghum strain K 10 which is an improvement over K7 has been developed and released during 1991 for rainfed cultivation in Purattasi Pattam (September-October) season in south and south central districts of Tamil Nadu. K 10 produced a mean dry fodder (straw) of 11.36 t/ha registering 34.2 per cent increase over K 3 and 14 per cent increase over K 7. It gave a mean grain yield of 1680 kg/ha registering 31.7 per cent increase over K 3 and 18 per cent increase over K.7. It has got better resistance to leaf diseases and pests both at field and controlled conditions.

A set of 35 interspecific hybrids obtained by crossing seven genotypes of bajra (Pennisetum americanum) as line parents with five genotypes of Napier grass P.purpureum) as tester parents were studied for their combining ability and for identification of superior hybrids for further multiplication. A good degree of genetic diversity was noticed in both within and between the species for all forage yield characters excepting stem thickness. Bajra had comparatively larger extent of variability for plant height and leaf breadth and Napier grass for tillers per clump, leaves per tiller, leaf length, stem thickness and green forage yield. Both additive and non-additive gene action, the latter being preponderant, were found important in the inheritance of forage yield and its components. Line parents No.2 and No.3 were the outstanding general combiners for four characters, including forage yield in parent No.2 and plant height in parent No.3. Among the tester parents, FD 464 was a good combiner for plant height, leaves per tiller and leaf length. As many as 28 crosses could be identified to be superior in performance for any one or few characters. Nine crosses manifested high heterosis for green forage yield. The cross No.3/FD.437 could be singled out as the most promising one as it had shown high heterosis for all the seven characters simultaneously, mostly accounted by superior s.c.a. Another cross No.2/FD 437 showed remarkable heterosis for five characters viz. plant height, leaves per tiller, leaf breadth, stem thickness and green forageyield. Heterosis observed for many characters in the interspecific the Bajra-Napier hybrids manifesting heterosis for forage yield components would help to maintain a high level of forage production.