Use of a Incomplete Diallel Cross to Estimate the Combining Ability in Putian Black Laying Ducks

Sixteen hybrid combinations from four paternal lines A, B, C, D and four maternal lines E, F,G, H were tested for their combining ability.A significant difference of general combining ability of egg num her and egg weight at 300-day age was found between paternal and maternal lines by using Liu Laifu’s incom plete diallel crossing method.The experimental results showed that line B and line F exhibited the highed general combining ability and hybrid combinations BE, CF, BH exhibited highest specific combining abili ty.Estimated genotypic variance of general and specific combining abilities were 49.94% and 50.06% respectively.Estimated narrow and broad heritabilities Of egg number at 300-day age were 0.2458 and 0.4923.There were significant correlations between total averaged egg weight at first laying and 300-day ages with egg number at 300-dy age.The correlative coefficients were-0.9091 and 0.8557 respectively.