Abstract:
In present study genetic diversity of seven high-yielding parents of Indian mustard along with four checks viz., Pusa bold, Shatabdi, Bio-902, and Kranti were evaluated using twelve SSR primers. Out of 12 SSR primers, seven primers were found monomorphic and five primers were found polymorphic for the set of selected genotypes. The results of the diversity analysis showed that, almost all the parents are diverse from each other. Again 30 F1 crosses of Indian mustard were obtained in full diallel fashion using six parents. ANOVA for combining ability indicated that mean squares due to GCA were significant for all characters studied except siliquae density on the main branch and 1000 seed weight. Five crosses showed significant negative SCA/RCA effects for seed yield and many of the contributing characters. Considering GCA effects for most of the yield-contributing traits, the parents ACNMM13 and ACNMM14 were recorded as good general combiners for seed yield and it’s attributing characters. Selected five crosses along with checks (Kranti, Bio-902 and Shatabdi) for varietal development were sown to study the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean for yield and yield attributing traits. High genotypic coefficient of variation, high heritability accompanied with high genetic advance as per-cent of the mean observed for a number of branches plant-1, siliquae density on main branch, number of siliquae plant-1 and seed yield plant-1 which indicated the significant progress by an effective selection of these characters. Selected plants from five good crosses were suggested to carry forward by the plant to-row method for exploiting improvement in selected material.