GENETIC ANALYSIS OF SEED YIELD AND COMPONENT CHARACTERS OVER ENVIRONMENTS IN CASTOR (Ricinus communis L.)

The parents, hybrids and environments significantly differed among themselves for all the characters studied. The estimates of potence ratio and predictability ratio in respect to ó2gca and ó2sca  revealed preponderance of additive genetic variance for days to 50% flowering, number of node up to primary spike, effective length of primary spike, total number of capsules per plant, seed yield per plant and test weight of 100 seeds; Non additive genetic variance was preponded for days to 50 % maturity of primary spike and shelling out turn whereas, for number of capsules on primary spike only additive genetic variance was significant. The estimates of additive genetic variance more consistent over environments for all the characters; whereas, non additive genetic variances varied for all the characters except shelling out turn and oil content. The pistillate lines Geeta and SKP 84 and male parents SKI 270, DCS 47, SPS 44-1, EB 16 and SKI 147 were good general combiners for seed yield and important yield contributing characters. Crosses SKP 24 X SKI 270, VP 1 X DCS 47 and SKP 84 x SKI 202 were good specific combiners for seed yield per plant. Apart from heterosis breeding, population improvement for development of both pistillate and monoecious lines is suggested.