Heterosis and Diallel Analysis of Yield and Yield Components of Bread Wheat F1 Generation

Abstract

In this study, half-diallel crosses were performed using six wheat genotypes (Adana-99, Flamura-85, Masaccio, Lucilla, 1635 and 2115). This research was conducted in Kahramanmaraş ecological conditions during the 2019-2020 growing season in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Heading date (HD), grain filling period (GFP), days to maturity (DM), plant height (PH), spike length (SL), grain number per spike (GNS), grain weight per spike (GWS), thousand-grain weight (TGW), grain yield per plant (GY), and chlorophyll content of flag leaf (SPAD value) traits were investigated on F1 plants and parents. When the mean values of parents and F1 generations were examined, F1 mean values were higher than the mean values of parents in heading date (134.06 days), days to maturity (164.04 days), spike length (13.31 cm), grain number per spike (51.64 units), grain weight per spike (2.11 g), thousand-grain weight (36.58 g), grain yield per plant (35.99 g), and chlorophyll content of flag leaf (49.60 SPAD), while lower in grain filling period (41.77 days) and plant height (88.80 cm). According to diallel analyses, it was found that HD, DM, GFP, PH, GWS, and SPAD traits had additive and dominant gene effects, while SL, GNS, TGW, and GY traits had significant dominant gene effects. Partial dominance was observed for HD, DM, PH, GWS, GY, and SPAD traits, while superior dominance was observed for GFP, SL, GNS, and TGW traits. The effects of general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant for all the traits studied. Positive average heterosis and heterobeltiosis values were determined for GNS, GWS, TGW, and GY traits. Regarding grain yield per plant, Adana-99, Lucilla, and Masaccio genotypes were identified as potential parents for breeding programs. Combinations of 1635 x 2115, Masaccio x Lucilla, Adana-99 x Lucilla, Adana-99 x Masaccio, Adana-99 x 1635, and Flamura-85 x Lucilla were identified as promising hybrids for grain yield.