Combining ability analysis for fibre quality traits in desi cotton (Gossypium arboreum L.) across the environments

Cotton is one of the most important fiber and cash crop of India and plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country. Fifty six crosses with fifteen parents and four checks viz., PKVDH 1,PKVSuvarna, NACH 12 and PA 255 were grown in Randomized Block Design with two replications during kharif, 2016 at three locations viz.,Cotton Research Station, Mahboob Baugh Farm, Parbhani (L1), Cotton Research Station, Nanded (L2), and Agricultural Research Station, Badnapur (L3).Pooled over the environments, the highest GCA effect for fibre quality traits was showed by line PA 812, PA 809andtesters CNA 449, DWDa 1402, JLA 794. Pooled over the environments, among the crosses highest SCA for fibre quality traits was reported in PA 740 X HD 514exhibiting significant SCA for UHML (1.40), micronaire (-0.21), uniformity index (0.19) and fibre strength (2.60) pooled over the locations. Selection in further generations would be rewarding to get best transgressive segregants for fibre quality.