Hybrid Vigor Expression for Some Important Agronomic Traits in Rice Using Diallel Method

Hybrid vigor expression in rice was studied for some agronomic traits in 15 hybrids involving six parents using half diallel mating design. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in parent's vs crosses for all studied traits. The high manifestation of heterosis for grain yield per plant is evident by significant superiority of hybrids over mid parent was ranging from 16.37 to 65.35% in most of hybrid combinations. The high better parent heterosis (heterobeltiosis) for yield per plant was observed in the cross Giza 177 x Chinese2 with value of 63.09%. Similarly, the cross Chinese 2 x GZ 8479-6-2-3-1 showed superiority over mid-parent heterosis with 65.35% for grain yield and also showed significant heterosis for some traits. The development of pure lines from segregating population is very important for evolving high yielding varieties. The crosses exhibiting good heterotic expression in F1 are likely to give better segregants in later generations were additive gene effects were high.