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Six parental genotypes and their thirty F 1 hybrids in a full diallel cross system with reciprocals, were used in the present study to estimate combining ability for five quantitative and five qualitative traits in hot pepper. The mean sum of squares due to general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and reciprocal combining ability (RCA) were significant for all the characters which suggest that these parents could have performed differently in different combinations indicating interallelic interactions. All the traits studied exhibited greater SCA variance than GCA, suggesting that these traits are controlled by non-additive gene action. Analysis of the GCA effects of parents for various traits revealed that LCA625, K1 and PKM1 were the best general combiners for almost all the traits. Estimates of SCA effects showed that the hybrids LCA625 × K1, K1 × Arka Lohit and Pusa Jwala × PKM1 were found to be the best combiners for yield and its attributes. The hybrid K1 × Arka Lohit was the best reciprocal combiner for quality parameters based on its better mean performance and combining ability. These results suggest that commercial production of hot pepper hybrids and isolation of pure lines from these hybrids is a possible way to enhance the yield and fruit quality.Additional key words: chilli; growth; capsaicin; dry yield; GCA; SCA; RCA Authors' contributions: Designed the study: LV, SD, JJA and GP. Data collection, field work and statistical analysis: RN. Technical and material support: LV and SD. Contributed analysis tools: JJA and GP. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.Correspondence should be addressed to Rohini Narayanasamy: rohizna@gmail.com

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