Assessment of heterosis for key growth and early harvest traits in okra using line × tester mating design

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A field study was conducted during 2024–2025 at the experimental site of the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, Hiriyur, Chitradurga district, Karnataka, to evaluate heterosis for key growth and early harvest traits in okra using a line by tester mating design. The experimental material consisted of nine lines, three testers, their twenty-seven F1 hybrids, and two commercially popular varieties, NS7774 and Arka Nikitha, as standard checks. The per se performance of genotypes and hybrids was assessed for number of branches per plant, plant height, internodal length, stem girth, days to 50 percent flowering, and days taken for first harvest. Significant variation was observed among the genotypes for all traits. Positive heterosis was desirable for plant height and stem girth to improve plant vigor, whereas negative heterosis was preferred for internodal length, days to fifty percent flowering, and days taken for first harvest to facilitate early growth and harvest. Among the hybrids, L5 by T1 exhibited the highest positive heterosis for plant height, whereas L3 by T1 and L3 by T3 recorded maximum negative heterosis for internodal length. Early flowering and reduced days to first harvest were most pronounced in L7 by T3 and L2 by T2, respectively. The results indicate that several hybrids exhibited significant and desirable heterosis for growth and early harvest traits, suggesting their potential for use in breeding programs aimed at developing vigorous and early maturing okra cultivars.

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