Inheritance of important traits in bread wheat using diallel analysis

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) is one of the most important cereal grain crop of the world and is cultivated over a wide range of climatic conditions. For a successful breeding program the inheritance of yield related traits is a pre- requisite. This monograph communicates the inheritance pattern of yield and related traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using 8x8 diallel analyses. Graphical analysis revealed additive gene action for days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, grains per spike, 1000 grains weight and harvest index. While over dominance gene action for flag leaf area, tillers per plant, Spike length and yield per plant. The GCA mean squares were significant for all traits except tiller per plant and yield per plant and were greater than SCA mean squares indicating the preponderance of additive genetic effects. The parents Tkb, Tat, Sarc-3 and SQ- 92 were good general combiners. The parents Tkb , Tat , Sarc-3 and SQ-92 and the specific crosses that showed high mid parent and better parent heterosis are recommended for further use in wheat breeding programmes.