Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

The present investigation was undertaken to estimate general and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA) and gene action of seven morphological traits in lentil under normal and late-sown conditions. The F_₁ crosses were made using a line × tester mating design and the crosses along with parents were evaluated in a randomised block design with two replications in both environments. The study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU, Varanasi. The crosses were made in Rabi 2023–24 and evaluated in Rabi 2024–25. Plant-to-plant and row-to-row spacing was 10 and 25 cm, respectively. Morphological data were collected from five randomly selected plants from each replication of each treatment. ANOVA revealed considerable variation among lines, testers and F_{₁ crosse}s for all the seven morphological traits studied. The GCA and SCA effects were significant, indicating the involvement of additive and non-additive gene action. Higher additive than dominance variance was observed for most of the traits, including seed yield, in both environments. The lentil genotype DPL 15 showed desirable GCA for early flowering and maturity under both conditions. Among the crosses, HUL 57 × BCL 10212 and HUL 57 × KM 2 showed favourable SCA for yield-related traits under late-sown conditions. The contributions of interactions, lines and testers varied among traits, with line × tester interaction making an important contribution to yield and its components under late-sown conditions.  These identified parents and cross combinations may be used for improving lentil productivity under late-sown conditions.