Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Exploring heterotic potential and combining ability of elite rice varieties for enhanced agricultural productivity

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15419
Submitted
6 May 2026
Published
20-07-2026

Abstract

This study was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, during the kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022 to assess the combining ability and heterotic potential of rice genotypes using a line × tester mating design. Three superior rice varieties, namely Rajeshwari, Mahamaya and IGKV R 1244, were crossed with four indigenous testers (IC0491194, IC0496940, IC0491254 and IC0558317), generating 12 hybrids that were evaluated for yield and yield-attributing traits. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant treatment variation across most traits, confirming adequate genetic diversity among the experimental materials. Both additive and non-additive gene actions were found to govern trait expression, suggesting that both selection-based approaches and hybrid breeding programmes could be effectively utilised for trait improvement. Rajeshwari and IGKV R 1244 emerged as superior general combiners for yield and yield-attributing traits, while IC0558317 proved to be a promising tester for productivity-related characters. Among the hybrid combinations, IGKV R 1244 × IC0558317, Rajeshwari × IC0491254 and Mahamaya × IC0491254 were identified as superior specific combiners for seed yield per plant. Notable mid-parent heterosis was recorded for grain yield in crosses such as Rajeshwari × IC0558317  (47.66 %) and IGKV R 1244 × IC0558317 (47.46 %), underscoring their potential for commercial hybrid development. The study further highlights the value of Rajeshwari and IGKV R 1244 as promising parental lines for hybrid development.

References

  1. 1. Zhao M, Lin Y, Chen H. Improving nutritional quality of rice for human health. Theor Appl Genet. 2020;133(5):1397–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03530-x
  2. 2. Saran D, Gauraha D, Sao A, Kumar R, Sandilya VK. Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield attributing traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pharma Innov. 2023;12(7):1014–9.
  3. 3. Hickey LT, Hafeez AN, Robinson H, Jackson SA, Leal-Bertioli S, Tester M, et al. Breeding crops to feed 10 billion. Nat Biotechnol. 2019;37(7):744–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-019-0152-9
  4. 4. Godfray HCJ, Beddington JR, Crute IR, Haddad L, Lawrence D, Muir JF, et al. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science. 2010;327(5967):812–8. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1185383
  5. 5. Indian Institute of Rice Research. Progress report 2019, volume 3: crop production (agronomy, soil science and plant physiology), All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Programme (ICAR). 2020. p. 1–343.
  6. 6. Mohanty S, Yamano T. Rice food security in India: emerging challenges and opportunities. In: The future rice strategy for India. Academic Press; 2017. p. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805374-4.00001-4
  7. 7. Cui Y, Li R, Li G, Zhang F, Zhu T, Zhang Q, et al. Hybrid breeding of rice via genomic selection. Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(1):57–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13170
  8. 8. Alam MM, Hasan MM, Amin MR, Islam MM, Ferdous MJ, Hassan L. Combining ability analysis in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice Sci. 2020;27(6):485–94.
  9. 9. Latha S, Sharma D, Sanghera GS. Combining ability and heterosis for grain yield and its component traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Not Sci Biol. 2013;5(1):90–7. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb519006
  10. 10. Chaudhary A, Mistry P, Patel P, Sharma D. Studies on the genetic basis of heterosis, inbreeding depression, heritability and genetic advance through generation mean analysis for yield and its attributing traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pharma Innov. 2022;11(7):3465–72.
  11. 11. Hays HK, Immer IR, Smith DC. Methods of plant breeding. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company International Corporation; 1955.
  12. 12. Allard RW. Principles of plant breeding. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.; 1960.
  13. 13. Santhiya S, Pushpam R, Subramanian A, Joel AJ, Senthil A. Nature of gene action and combining ability effects for grain yield and quality traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Electron J Plant Breed. 2024;15(1):11–20. https://doi.org/10.37992/2024.1501.003
  14. 14. Reddy DV, Suneetha Y, Kumar BR. Combining ability studies of promising restorer lines for yield and yield components in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Agric Sci Dig. 2024:1–7. https://doi.org/10.18805/ag.D-5874
  15. 15. Arunkumar P, Narayanan R. Combining ability and gene action for productivity traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under saline conditions. Mysore J Agric Sci. 2024;58(1):40–7.
  16. 16. Essam AZ, Shamey RI, Sakran M, Salman A, Moneim D. Heterosis and combining ability for floral and yield characters in rice using cytoplasmic male sterility system. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2022;29(8):3727–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.03.010
  17. 17. Parimala K, Bhadru D, Raju CS. Combining ability and heterosis studies for grain yield and its components in hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.). Electron J Plant Breed. 2018;9(1):244–55. https://doi.org/10.5958/0975-928X.2018.00029.7
  18. 18. Chaudhary RC. Introduction to plant breeding. New Delhi: Oxford and IBH; 1984.
  19. 19. Rukmini Devi K, Parimala K, Cheralu C. Heterosis for yield and quality traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Res ANGRAU. 2014;42(1):1–11.
  20. 20. Sudeepthi K, Jyothula DPB, Suneetha Y. Heterosis and combining ability studies for yield and yield component traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2018;7(10):1205–11. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.710.134
  21. 21. Premkumar R, Gnanamalar RP, Anandakumar CR. Heterosis analysis for grain yield and yield component traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2017;6(6):881–4.
  22. 22. Saravanan KR, Yogini D, Vinothkumar K, Prakash M. Heterosis and combining ability analysis for yield and quality traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2018;1(2):73–4.
  23. 23. Manjunath K, Chandra Mohan Y, Gouri Shanker V, Balram M, Krishna L. Combining ability and heterosis studies for selecting elite parents and hybrids in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Bioscan. 2019;14(2):101–8.
  24. 24. Singh AG, Patel PB. Study of heterosis and inbreeding depression in F2 generation of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pharma Innov. 2020;10(5):655–60.
  25. 25. Hitaishi SK, Vimal SC, Chaudhary AK. Heterosis and inbreeding depression for yield, its contributing characters and physiological parameters in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under stress condition. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2020;9(5):1216–8.
  26. 26. Singh P, Singh SK, Korada M, Khaire A, Singh DK, Habde SV, et al. Exploring variability and genetic diversity among rice genotypes in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Electron J Plant Breed. 2021;12(4):1367. https://doi.org/10.37992/2021.1204.187
  27. 27. Patel SK. Heterosis and inbreeding depression for grain yield and its component traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Int J Genet. 2019;0975–2862.
  28. 28. Kulkarni SR, Balachandran SM, Fiyaz RA, Sruthi K, Balakrishnan D, Ulaganathan K, et al. Assessment of heterotic potential and combining ability of immortal restorer lines derived from an elite rice hybrid, KRH-2, for the development of superior rice hybrids. bioRxiv. 2020:2020–11. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.09.373985

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.