Fig. 1

Schematic illustration of the multi-parent crossing approach employed in this study to generate four multi-parent crosses. The diagram depicts the specific scheme for the development of the 8-way cross-3, involving a multi-stage hybridization process and subsequent pedigree selection. The terms “Rabi” and “kharif” are used to represent the post-rainy and rainy seasons, respectively. The founder lines involved in this crossing approach are represented by P1 to P8.