Vol. 11, Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
Arzoo Garg, Vijaykumar L Gawande, Sangeeta U Fatak and RD Ratnaparkhi

Abstract:
An experiment was conducted for estimation of magnitude of relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis over three checks viz., PBNS 12, A 1 and PKV Pink for seed yield and its components in safflower using 30 hybrids resulted from mating two females and fifteen males in line x tester fashion. All the genotypes were significantly differed for all the traits under study, however, the crosses differed significantly for all traits except days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and 100 seeds weight. Higher range of all three types of heterosis was noticed for capsules per plant followed by seed yield per plant, plant height and seed volume weight than other studied traits. Further, highest and significant magnitude of heterosis over mid parent, better parent and best check was observed for the trait capsules per plant in cross AKS CMS 3A x GMU 7448 (85.40%, 80.05% and 46.29%, respectively) followed by seed yield per plant in AKS CMS 3A x GMU 2273 (84.09%, 75.42% and 27.04%, respectively). The same cross i.e., AKS CMS 3A x GMU 2273 also recorded highest and significant standard heterosis over best check for primary branches per plant and seed filling percentage (30.57% and 11.96%, respectively). The cross AKS CMS 3A x GMU 7448 also exhibited highest and significant average heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis (85.40%, 80.05% and 46.29%, respectively) for plant height at harvest. None of the crosses could record significant standard heterosis for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and 100 seeds weight. Amongst the 30 crosses, AKS CMS 3A x GMU 2273 was found to be superior cross for seed yield and some other contributing traits. However, the magnitude of heterosis was not as per expectation especially over the standard check to exploit it at commercial level. Hence, further investigation is essential for search of best combination with higher magnitude of standard heterosis for seed yield and its contributing traits.