| The upland cotton varieties Coker310, SP8886, Lachata, Montana, Halab33, AC22, Cord26, Iranian16, Line S230 and Chrip-AM539 were used in half diallel cross and 45 single crosses obtained. Varieties and their diallel crosses were planted at two locations, the first at the farm of College and Forestry, Mosul University in 19/4/2010, ant the second at Al-Hawiga, Kirkuk Governorate in 20/4/2010 using randomized complete block design with three replications. Data recorded for plant height, number of fruiting branches, number of bolls, boll weight, earliness and seed cotton yield per plant, and combining analysis of variance carried out according to the method of the used design, and then analyzed according to Jinks-Hayman method for diallel crosses. Components of genetic variance and narrow sense heritability were estimated and graphic analysis done to detect the nature of gene action for studied characters. The results showed that mean square of genotypes and genotypes x location interaction was highly significant for all characters. The additive and non additive genetic variance components was significant from zero for all characters except earliness, as well as non significant of additive genetic variance for seed cotton yield per plant. The values of dominance components appeared more than additive one for all characters indicating that the dominance genetic variance was more important in the inheritance of these characters. Graphic analysis suggested the presence of complete dominance for plant height and boll weight, partial dominance for seed cotton yield per plant and over dominance for other characters. Narrow sense heritability ranged from 7.92% for seed cotton yield per plant seed cotton yield per plant to 32.7% for boll weight, and it was low for number of fruiting branches, earliness and seed cotton yield per plant and moderate for other characters |