Abstract Combining ability studies helps in selection of appropriate parents for a cross and also indicates suitable breeding procedure for handling a cross to develop a cultivar. In the present investigation, combining ability estimates for yield and related traits have been analyzed in 45 F 1 and 45 F 2 progenies derived from 10 parent half diallel mating design. The analysis of variances showed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. Significant differences have been found for general combining ability (GCA) effects among the parents as well as specific combining ability (SCA) effects among the hybrids for all the studied traits. The GCA and SCA components of variance were significant for all the traits. However, the magnitude of GCA variance was higher than SCA suggested the preponderance of additive gene action for most of the traits. The GCA:SCA ratio revealed predominance of additive gene effects in both the generations except seed weight in F 1 and husk weight and oil content in F 2 generation. Among all the parents, EC-1392, JLS-9 and JWR-17 were the best general combiners for branches/plant, capsules/plant and seeds/capsule and average to high combiners for other traits in both the generations. Most of the specific crosses for yield related traits as well as oil content involved high/average, average/average and average/poor general combiners. These crosses combinations could be utilized for further use in breeding program in combination with the parents having good general combining ability for improvement in yield of linseed
