Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(9): 2651-2660 2651 Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.709.331 Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression Studies for Yield and its Contributing Traits in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under Normal and Late Sown Condition Chhagan Lal 1* , A.S. Shekhawat 1 , Jogendra Singh 1 and Vinod Kumar 2 1 Division of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, S.K.N. Agriculture University, Durgapura (Jaipur), Rajasthan - 302018, India 2 Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - 212005, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Barley (Hordeum vulgare L., 2n=2x=14) was domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the fertile crescent of the Near-East. It is a staple food in several regions of the world i.e. in some areas of North Africa and the Near East, highlands of Central Asia, Horn of Africa, Andean countries and Baltic States. These regions are characterised by harsh living conditions and home to some of the poorest farmers in the world who depend on the low productive systems. It is considered as the first cereal domesticated for use by man as food and feed (Potla et al., 2013). The major barley producing countries of world are Canada, USA, Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, UK, Denmark, Russia, central Asia countries and Australia. In India, it is grown in 693 thousand hectares with average grain productivity 2580 kg per hectare and total production of 1788 thousand ton (Anonymous, 2016-17), whereas in Rajasthan, it is grown in 276 thousand hectares with average grain productivity 3297 kg per hectare and total production of 910 thousand ton (Anonymous, 2016-17). This International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 09 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com A set of diallel crosses involving 10 diverse parents (excluding reciprocals) was made. Heterosis for grain yield per plant ranged from -21.95 to 39.65 per cent and -48.13 to 64.34 per cent under normal and late sown conditions, respectively. Out of 45 crosses fifteen crosses in both the sowing conditions exhibited positive significant heterosis while, nine crosses in normal and seven crosses in late sown condition exhibited positive significant heterobeltiosis. In both the environments the crosses BHS 400 × PL 426, BHS 400 x BHS 380, BG 105 x BH 959, PL 426 × RD 2552 and BH 959 × RD 2552 exhibited positive significant heterosis and heterobeltiosis while out of only one cross 426 × RD 2552 has desirable negative significant inbreeding depression. Hence, these crosses were considered to be most desirable for grain yield per plant. The study revealed good scope for commercial exploitation of heterosis as well as isolation of pure lines among the progenies of heterotic F 1 for improvement of yield levels in barley. Keywords Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), Heterosis and heterobeltiosis Accepted: 18 August 2018 Available Online: 10 September 2018 Article Info