Genetic Analysis of Some Agronomic Traits in Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. [Moench])

A study was carried out at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria to determine the gene action underlying the inheritance of important agronomic traits as well as the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of the parents and hybrids, respectively. Ten hybrids were developed by crossing five lines to two testers. The hybrids and parents were evaluated on the field in a randomised complete block design replicated three times, and data were collected on days to 50% flowering, number of branches, stem diameter, plant height, pod length, pod width, pod weight, number of pods and pod yield. The data were subjected to line by tester analysis and results showed substantial variability among the genotypes for some of the characters measured. Days to 50% flowering, number of pods and pod yield were largely under additive gene action while non-additive gene action was more important in the inheritance of plant height. Favourable GCA and SCA effects for days to 50% flowering were observed in NGB00356, NGB00326 and NGB00347 × NGB00326, respectively. The tester NGB00326 had a positive and significant GCA effect for number of pods while the highest positive SCA effect for pod yield was found in NGB00297 × NGB00326. Thus, NGB00356 and NGB00326 could be considered as sources of alleles for development of early maturing while the cross NGB00297 × NGB00326 could be exploited for high yielding okra genotypes.