Studies on Combining Ability and Selection Parameters in Mustard (Brassicajuncea)

Abstract

Thesis Title: "Studies on combining ability and selection parameters in mustard (Brassicajuncea)" The present investigation entitled "Studies on combining ability and selection parameters in mustard (Brassica juncea)" was undertaken to collect information on genetic parameters for yield. and its components from a ten parents diallel mating design in mustard at Crop Research Centre (Chirodi), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut (U.P.) during rabi 2012-13 and 2Q13- 14. The experimental material was comprised often diverse parents and their 45 F1s excluding reciprocals of a diallel cross. All genotypes were evaluated in a complete randomized block design with three replications. The data were recorded on fourteen characters days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, length of main raceme, number of siliquae on main raceme, number of siliquae per plant, number of seed per siliquae, biological yield per plant, harvest index, I 000 seed weight, oil content and seed yield per plant. The data were recorded subjected to various statistical analyses. Analysis of variance exhibited highly significant differences among the parents and F1s for all the characters. Parents vs hybrids revealed highly significant differences for all the characters except for oil content. T~e F test indicated that the variance due to treatments were highly significant for all the traits, justifying the presence of adequate variability with regard to important characters under study. Both additive and non additive components of genetic variation appeared important in the expression of almost all the characters. For exploitation of both the additive and non additive component of variation, material may be handled through pedigree method and modified recurrent selection or biparental mating for obtaining superior segregants and genotypes. Promising parents viz., Vardan, Pusa Bold, Kranti, Chamatkar and Ashirwad which were having high general combining ability effects in desirable direction for seed yield and yield components character like days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, length of main raceme, number of siliquae on main raceme, number of siliquae per plant, 1000 seed weight, biological yield per plant, harvest index and seed yield per plant may be incorporated in crossing programme to have better genotypes for better yield. The cross combinations viz., Vaibhav x Pusa Basant, Vaibhav x Krishna, Vaibhav x Chamatkar, Vaibhav x R-8, Vaibhav x Ashirwad, Vardan x Pusa Bold, Vardan x Varuna, Vardan x Krishna, Vardan x Chamatkar, Vardan x R-8, Pusa Bold x Pusa Basant, Pusa Bold x Krishna, Pusa Bold x Kranti, Pusa Bold x Ashirwad, Varuna x Pusa Basant, Varuna x Krishna, Pusa Basant x Ashirwad, Krishna x Kranti and Kranti x R-8 exhibited good specific combining ability effects for seed yield and its contributing traits such as days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of siliquae per plant, 1000 seed weight, biological yield per plant, harvest index and seed yield per plant. These cross combinations may be exploited for development of hybrid in mustard or may be incorporated in multiple cross breeding programme to have better transgressive segregants with broad genetic base for the selection in mustard improvement programme. Six cross combinations whlch showed highest value of heterosis for seed yield namely, Vardan x R-8, Pusa Bold x Pusa Basant, Pusa Bold x Krishna, Pusa Bold x Kranti, Pusa Bold x Ashirwad and Varuna x Krishna over better parent may be exploited for developing hybrids with better yield in mustard. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance were observed for plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, length of main raceme, number of siliquae on main raceme, number of seeds per siliquae, number of siliquae per plant, 1000 seed weight, biological yield per plant, harvest index and seed yield per plant may be used as direct selection criteria for improving yield and its contributing traits. By improving the characters vfz., length of main raceme, number of siliquae on main raceme, number of seeds per siliquae, number of siliquae per plant, biological yield per plant and harvest index exhibited significant and positive association with seed yield, suggested that the yield in mustard may be improved by these characters. I 000 seed weight displayed high order of direct effect on seed yield per plant followed by number of siliquae per plant, number of seeds per siliquae, biological yield per plant and number of secondary branches per plant, suggested that can be considered as guia~line~ her breeding work.