The present investigation was conducted to study the combining ability through L x T design of experiment hybrids for agronomic and yield and its component traits under normal and saline soil conditions. Six CMS lines were crossed with seven restorer lines to produce 42 hybrids where they along with their parental lines were evaluated. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed highly significant differences among CMS and restorer lines for all agronomic and yield and its studied characters except for grain yield (ton/fed) under both normal and saline soil conditions. Among the CMS lines; Pusa 6A and IR69625A while among the restorers, PR3 and Giza 178R are proved to be good combiners for the majority of the characters including yield, by exhibiting values for high GCA effects. Out of 42 hybrid rice combinations, the top five hybrids based on SCA effects for grain yield characters under saline soil conditions are IR68902A/Giza 182R, IR70368A/Giza 178R, IR69625A/PR2, Pusa 3A/GZ6296R and IR58025A/PR2.

Forty two rice hybrids were produced using six CMS lines and seven restorers following line x tester mating design. This study aimed to find out to the best hybrid combinations in respect of their superiority over the best inbred check variety, for agronomic and yield traits under normal and saline soil conditions.Hybrids with a yield advantage over the highest yielding check variety or over the hybrid check variety were considered as promising. Among 42 hybrid rice combinations evaluated ten under normal soil conditions and eight under saline soil conditions were most promising with mean performance of grain yield ranging from 5.60 ton/fed. for 58025A/GZ5121R to 6.18 ton/fed. for IR69625A/Giza 178R (EHR1) under normal soil condition. Mean performance of grain yield of best promising hybrids under saline condition ranging from 3.22 ton/fed. for IR69625A/PR1 to 3.34 ton/fed. for IR69625A/GZ5121R. The yield advantage over best local check variety was ranged from 1.10 ton/fed. to 1.68 ton/fed. under normal soil condition and ranged from 0.28 ton/fed. to 0.40 ton/fed. under saline soil conditions. Standard heterosis (SH%) or superiority % estimates ranged from 24.44 to 37.33% under normal soil condition and ranged from 9.52 to 13.60% under saline condition for above mentioned hybrids. The hybrid rice combination IR69625A/GZ5121R recorded the highest yield over the best hybrid check variety EHR1 under saline soil conditions. * Measure of soil saturation. ** Measure of soil water extract 1:5.

Eleven hybrid rice combinations were produced by using three cytoplasmic male sterility lines and seven restorers (line x tester mating design) evaluated for agronomic and yield characters under normal and salt soil conditions.The genotypes,