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An experiment was conducted to study the nature and magnitude of heterosis for seed yield per plant and its eleven yield attributing components. Experimental material consisting of 55 entries comprised of four pistillate lines (used as females) and ten inbred lines (used as males) and their 40 hybrids developed through line x tester mating design along with standard check hybrid (GCH 7) were evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications. Perusal of mean data revealed that among females, JP 96 and SKP 84 and among males, JI 441, JI 438 and JI 431 exhibited higher per se performance for seed yield per plant and its contributing traits. Three crosses viz., SKP 84 x JI 435, JP 96 x JI 437 and SKP 84 x JI 437 appeared to be the most suitable crosses for exploitation in practical plant breeding programme in castor, as they recorded 39.95 per cent, 29.29 per cent and 35.13 per cent significantly the higher heterosis over their respective better parent, and 15.59 per cent (324.58 g), 14.77 per cent (322.28 g) and 11.61 per cent (313.41 g) significantly the higher heterosis over standard check GCH 7 (280.80 g). These cross combinations also possessed high per se performance for one or more yield contributing traits.
Keywords: Castor, heterobeltiosis, standard heterosis.