Genetics of alkaloids in poppy straw with other morphological traits in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.)

Abstract

Opium poppy belongs to the family − ‘Papaveraceae’ and is well known mainly for its pharmaceutically important alkaloids and seeds. In order to delineate the gene-effects conditioning the expression of seed yield and straw alkaloids, six crosses viz. IS 14×Sampada, I 14×Mtu, Sampada×Sujata, CIM Ajay×Dfr 44, Sapna×Sanchita and SPS 49×TS 1 involving the eleven parents, were sampled for P1, P2 and F1 (=P1×P2) non segregating, and F2 (=F1), BCP1 (=F1×P1), and BCP2 (=F1×P2) segregating generations. The days to flowering (50%) and plant height showed all the three type of interactions (i, j, l) in three crosses, namely C1 − IS 14×Sampada and C2 − I 14×Mtu but the traits peduncle length, codeine and thebaine content showed in other three crosses as C1 − IS 14×Sampada,C2 − I 14×Mtu,C3 − Sampada×Sujata and C4 − CIM Ajay×Dfr 44 in order. The two type of interactions additive×additive and additive×dominance interactions (i, j,) exhibited by the C6 − SPS 49×TS 1 for plant height and thebaine content, C5 − Sapna×Sanchita for peduncle length, codeine and narcotine content. The genetic basis of character expression indicated that the interacting crosses showing non-allelic interactions particularly duplicate epistasis in most of the crosses. While most of those without epistatic interactions exhibited superiority over parental mean. On the basis of study results the two specific cross combinations like Sampada×Sujata and CIMAP Ajay×Dfr 44 are selected to ensure tangible superiority for the most economic traits like high seed yield and poppy straw/capsule husk alkaloids including other contributing traits also like early flowering, capsule index for poppy crop improvement programme.