Combining Ability Analysis for Forage Yield and Quality Traits in Forage Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L.Moench]

The present study was conducted at GBPUAT Pantnagar to evaluate the combining ability for nine yield related and three quality traits in seventy F1 crosses developed through line x tester mating design that involved ten female lines and seven pollinator (male) lines. The complete randomization block design (C.R.B.D.) experiment was with three replications. Observations were recorded on plant height, stem girth, number of leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf:stem ratio, total soluble solids, HCN content, green fodder yield per plot, dry fodder yield per plot (yield related traits), and protein percent (quality traits). The results indicated highly significant differences among treatments (Crosses) for all the characters. Among lines 11 A2, ICSA-467, ICSA-469, 993100 A, ICSA-271, and ICSA-276 exhibited good general combining ability for different yield related and quality traits whereas among testers CSV-15, PC-5, 04 K 693, 04 K 700 and 04 K 668 showed good general combining ability for most of the yield related and quality characters. Among seventy crosses, twenty four crosses for plant height, nine crosses for number of leaves, one cross for leaf length, fourteen crosses for leaf width, thirteen crosses for leaf area, five crosses for stem girth, thirteen crosses for total soluble solids, nine crosses for leaf:stem ratio, eight crosses for HCN content, sixteen crosses for green fodder yield, eight crosses for dry fodder yield and seven crosses for protein per cent exhibited good specific combining ability.