Genetic Divergence and Direct and Indirect Selection Parameters in Linseed (Linum Usitatissimum L.)

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Character association and genetic divergence analysis in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)” involving forty genotypes of linseed was undertaken to examine the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation coefficient, path coefficient analysis and genetic divergence. All the forty linseed genotypes were tested in randomized block design with 3 replications during rabi season 2016-17, at Crop Research Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (UP). Observations were recorded for days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height (cm), number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, days to maturity, biological yield per plant (g), seed yield per plant (g), harvest index (%) and 1000 seed weight. Analysis of variance revealed that sufficient amount of genetic variability existed among the present set of breeding material and study for genetic parameters, with these genotypes, was worth for valuable findings. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance in percent of mean for characters capsules per plant and seed yield per plant, while high heritability coupled with moderate genetic advance was observed for days to 50% flowering and plant height. These traits may be considered directly in selection programme for the improvement in productivity of linseed crop. Seed yield per plant displayed highly significant and positive association with days to 50% flowering, capsules per plant, biological yield and harvest index and the significant correlation with plant height and seeds per capsule. It indicated that by improving these traits, improvement in grain yield could be achieved under selection. Genotypes belonging to cluster VII (LCK-283 and LCK-206) exhibited maximum genetic diversity within the cluster as compared to the genotypes belonging to other clusters. Hence, hybridization could be taken up among these genotypes for obtaining desirable sergeants for the yield and yield component traits. On the basis of high inter cluster distance, hybridization programme could be taken up between the varieties of cluster I (LMH-176, R-552, LCK-293 and LCK-8605) and cluster VI (LM-820, LCK-8648, LHCK-69 and LCK-8657) and also between the varieties of cluster I (LMH-176, R-552, LCK-293 and LCK-8605) and cluster VII (LCK-283 and LCK-206) for expecting the transgressive sergeants visa-vis a chance for selecting genetically variable genotypes for improvement in linseed. Heterotic cross combinations could also be exploited for development of hybrid in linseed. Genotypes from these clusters may be selected for hybridization programme, on the basis of their high per se performance for yield and yield contributing traits.