Vol. 9, Special Issue 8, Part L (2025)

The present study was carried out at the Cotton Research Unit, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, to assess heterosis and combining ability for yield and fibre quality traits in upland cotton. A total of 40 F1 hybrids, developed through a line × tester mating design involving five female lines and eight male testers during kharif 2023, were evaluated along with 13 parents and two standard checks in a randomized block design with three replications during kharif 2024. Significant variation was observed among genotypes for all traits studied, indicating substantial genetic diversity. Among the hybrids, AKH-081 X Suraj, Phule-688 X Surabhi, and AKH-081 X MCU-5VT exhibited the highest standard heterosis for seed cotton yield over both checks. In terms of fibre quality traits, AKH-09-5 X Suraksha showed superior performance for upper half mean length, fibre strength, and uniformity ratio. RHC-1651 X Suchitra demonstrated the most desirable negative heterosis for fibre fineness. General combining ability (GCA) analysis revealed AKH-081, Suchitra, and Surabhi as strong general combiners for yield and quality traits, while AKH-09-5 and Sunata showed favorable GCA effects for fibre strength and uniformity. Specific combining ability (SCA) analysis identified Phule-688 × Surabhi, RHC-1651X Suraj, and AKH-081 X Sunata as promising crosses for yield and fibre attributes. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting superior hybrids and parents for cotton improvement programms.