Deepak Meena, Amit Dadheech, Hemlata Sharma, R.B. Dubey, Devendra Jain and Jagdish Choudhary and Preeti Basser
Abstract
The present study was undertaken in three distinct environments (E1, E2, and E3) during the Rabi season of 2022-2023 in Rajasthan. The experimental set comprised of 70 genotypes, including 19 parents, 48 crosses, and 3 checks (JA-20, JA-134, RVA-100), which were assessed using a randomized block design with three replications. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed significant effects due to lines, testers, and line x tester interactions across all three environments, except for specific traits in certain environments. The parental lines T3, L7, L12, L13, L14, L15 and L16 demonstrated good general combining ability (GCA) effects across various traits. The specific combining ability (SCA) effects were diverse, with several crosses displaying consistently high effects, particularly for dry root yield per plant, where crosses such as L16 x T3 exhibited the highest estimates. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the combining ability of Ashwagandha genotypes and their performance across different environments, contributing to the understanding of traits and potential breeding strategies.