Estimation of economic heterosis for seed and oil yield in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids for coastal saline belt

Abstract

Present investigation was carried out to identify the best hybrid combinations giving high degree of useful heterosis for economic traits like seed and oil yield in sunflower under high saline soil in coastal saline belts of West Bengal. The standard heterosis for seed yield ranged from -12.7 to 17.9, -3.4 to 30.5 and -10.5 to 20.8 per cent over LFSH -171, DRSH-1 and KBSH-44, respectively. The maximum hybrid vigor for seed yield was reported in the CMS-234A x EC-273009, followed by CMS-853A x EC 623023, CMS-234A X RHA-1-1, CMS-852 A x EC-601725 and CMS-852A x EC-601751. The range of economic heterosis for oil yield varied from 0.3 to 27.2 per cent over LSFH-171, from -10.2 to 13.9 per cent over DRSH-1 and from 5.2 to 33.4 per cent over KBSH-44. The maximum hybrid vigor for oil yield was reported in the CMS-234 A x EC-273009, followed by CMS-853 A x EC 623023, CMS-103 A x EC-601978, CMS-850 A x EC-601978, CMS-852 A x EC-601725, CMS-207 A X CSFI-99, CMS-234A X RHA-1-1 and PET-2-7-1A x R-138-2 . The study revealed that out of 32 new sunflower hybrids, only hybrids viz., CMS-234 A x EC-273009, CMS-853 A x EC 623023, CMS-234A X RHA-1-1, CMS-852 A x EC-601725 CMS-850 A x EC-601978 and CMS-207 A X CSFI-99 manifested significant economic heterosis for seed and oil yield over national checks LSFH-171, DRSH-1 and KBSH-44. From the study it may be concluded that the sunflower hybrids viz. CMS-234 A x EC-273009, CMS-853 A x EC 623023, CMS-234A X RHA-1-1, CMS-852 A x EC-601725, CMS-207 A X CSFI-99 and CMS-850 A x EC-601978 might be promoted for further evaluation and commercialization. Key wordEconomic heterosis, Sunflower, Seed Yield, Oil Yield.