PRINCIPLES FOR GRIFFINGS COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS

Griffing's diallel analysis is used in plant improvement programs to i dentify superior parents for crossing and for characterizing general, specific, and reciprocal effects. Eight different model/method combina tions are commonly used in the analysis. The accuracy of the analysis is improved by using the appropriate model and method. In many instanc es, Model One with Method Three or Four is the most appropriate for ob taining unbiased estimates of combining abilities and gene action. The effective use of Griffing's analysis and the influence of several fac tors on this analysis are discussed. A personal computer program on th is analysis is also made available to interested readers.