Hanin Alkasser1*, Mohammad Jamal Hamandoush1, Ahmad Shams Alden Shaaban1 and Abdullah Alyoussef2
1 Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Aleppo University.
2 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Aleppo Research Center.
(*Corresponding author: Hanin Alkasser, Email: haninalkaseer92@gmail.com).
Received: 23/ 1/ 2026 Accepted: 21/ 6/ 2026
Abstract:
The experiment was conducted over four seasons (2020–2024) at two research stations in Syria (Hameimeh, Aleppo and Al-Karim, Salamieh). Two sites were used: rainfed (non‑irrigated) and irrigated. A randomized complete block design with three replications was employed. The objective was to study heterosis, general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability, and genetic variance components for seed yield, biomass, and harvest index in grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) genotypes using seven parental lines and 21 half‑diallel hybrids. For seed yield per unit area, hybrid G2×G7 showed high performance in both sites (3620 kg\ha) in rainfed site and (3150 kg\ha) in irrigated site, with heterosis over mid‑parent (both sites) and better‑parent (rainfed only). Hybrid G6×G7 exhibited heterosis over better‑parent under irrigated conditions. For biomass per unit area, G2×G7 showed high performance (11045 kg\ha), with heterosis over mid‑parent and better‑parent under rainfed conditions, while G2×G5 showed high performance (20250 kg\ha) with similar heterosis under irrigation. No heterosis was observed for harvest index. For GCA: under rainfed conditions, parents G2 and G7 had positive, highly significant values for both seed yield and biomass. Under irrigation, G6 excelled in seed yield; G2, G3, and G5 excelled in biomass. For harvest index, G6 (rainfed) and G2, G7, G4 (irrigated) showed positive GCA. For SCA: under rainfed conditions, hybrid G2×G7 was superior for seed yield and biomass. Under irrigation, G2×G3, G2×G5, G2×G6 were superior for biomass; G2×G6, G2×G7, G6×G7 for seed yield; and G2×G7, G6×G7 for harvest index. No promising hybrids for harvest index were observed under rainfed conditions.
Keywords: hybrid vigor, general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), genotypes, hybrid, grass pea.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF