Title: Combining ability analysis for yield and its component traits in sesame (<i>Sesamum indicum</i> L)
Abstract: Combining ability analysis was carried out in 8 x 8 half diallel mating system for ten quantitative characters in sesame (Sesamum indicum L). The present study revealed the importance of both additive as well as non-additive genetic components for yield and its contributing characters. Among the parents, JLT-9707-2 was one of the best general combiners as it depicted high gca for length of capsule, number of seeds per capsule, 1000 seed weight, and oil content. Another parent VRI (sv)2 was found to be good general combiner for plant height, number of branches per plant and number of capsules per plant. These parents displayed good per se performance for most of the characters suggesting scope for their use in further breeding programme. The cross JLT-408 x VS- 07-23 evinced significant sca effects for most of the yield and yield contributing characters. This revealed that high x high gca combinations need not necessarily result in high sca effects. The presence of additive and non additive genetic components for yield and its contributing characters was observed.