Combining ability and heterosis in common bean cultivars

The objective of this work was to determine the combining ability and heterosis, for productivity and yield components, in diallel hybrids derived from crossings between BRSMG-Talisma, IPR Uirapuru, FT Soberano, BRS Campeiro, IAC Tybata, and IPR Juriti parent cultivars. Fifteen hybrids were generated from diallel crosses, excluding reciprocals. The general and specific combining abilities were significant for plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, number of seeds per pod, 50-seed weight, and grain yield, indicating the occurrence of both additive and nonadditive genetic effects. The best strategy to be adopted is the use of BRS Campeiro, FT Soberano and BRSMG-Talisma cultivars in common bean breeding programs involving selection. The most promising combinations were 'IPR Uirapuru' x 'IAC Tybata', ' IPR Uirapuru' x ' FT Soberano', ' BRS Campeiro' x ' IPR Juriti', and ' BRS Campeiro' x ' IAC Tybata'. The parents of these hybrids presented high estimates of specific combining abilities. Hybridization of cultivars belonging to distinguished commercial groups propitiates higher heterosis values in the segregant population.