Inheritance of plant height and spike length in wheat

Using the line x tester analysis (Sing and Choudhary, 1979), we studied the combining ability, gene effects and mode of inheritance of plant height and spike length, using 5 females, 3 testers and 15 F] hybrids of wheat. The mode of inheritance of characters under study depended on the cross combination and the year of growing. In most cases the mode of inheritance was dominant. Estimation of the genetic components of variation as well as ratio of GCA/SCA showed that plant height in the first year and spike length in the second year of research were predominantly controlled by additive gene action. Non-additive gene effects have been found to be more important than additive ones in the inheritance of plant height in the second year and spike length in the first year of research. The estimates of general combining ability (GCA) pointed out that the best general combiner for the plant height in the first year was line NS 31/96, while in the second year the best combiner was variety Fundulea 490. For the spike length the best general combiner in the both years was line NS 31/96. The line NS 31/96 was the best general combiner in this research and it can be used in wheat breeding.