Short Duration Peanut ( Arachis hypogea l.) Hybrid Development: A Solution to the Climate Change

Climatic factors particularly the temperature fluctuations and rain pattern shift significantly impact the production and yield of peanut and unavailability of resilient varieties exacerbate this impact. To deal with the cropping pattern change and yield losses, due to climate vagaries, a study was conducted to develop early maturing hybrids using line into tester mating design. The F1 hybrids from the parental lines were produced in the year 2018 using Line×Tester mating design and then grown in the field in the year 2019 for further evaluation and comparison with parental lines for early maturity and yield-related attributes. Based on general combining ability estimate V22 (line) and V6 (tester) were found best parents whereas based on the specific combining ability significant results for V22×V1 and V20×V15 were observed for selection of better parents and hybrid combinations. Results based on heterosis and heterobeltosis analysis of the combinations for studied attributes showed that V22×V6 followed by V22×V15 are the best hybrids for earliness and better yield. These parents and combinations can further be used for the development of short duration variety.