Abstract
The response to selection in any crop improvement program depends on the degree of variance and heritability. The objective of the current study was to explain variance and heritability components in Indian mustard Brassica juncea (L). Czern & Coss to recognize promising genotypes for effective breeding. Two hundred and eighty-nine diverse accessions of Indian mustard belonging to four continents were analyzed for yield and yield-related traits (20 traits) over two seasons (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) using an alpha lattice design. The genetic variance was found to be significant (P ≤ 0.01) for the individual and under pooled analysis for all of the evaluated traits, demonstrating the presence of significant genetic variability in the diversity panel, which bids greater opportunities for utilizing these traits in future breeding programs. High heritability combined with high genetic advance as percent of mean and genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for flowering traits, plant height traits, seed size, and seed yield/plant; hence, a better genetic gain is expected upon the selection of these traits over subsequent generations. Both correlation and stepwise regression analysis indicated that the main shoot length, biological yield, total seed yield, plant height up to the first primary branch, seed size, total siliqua count, days to flowering initiation, plant height at maturity, siliquae on the main shoot, main shoot length, and siliqua length were the most significant contributory traits for seed yield/plant. Also, promising genotypes were identified among the diversity panel, which can be utilized as a donor to improve Indian mustard further. These results indicated a greater scope for improving seed yield per plant directly through a selection of genotypes having the parsimonious combination of these nine traits.
Highlights
Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss (AABB) is the second most important edible oilseed crop in indigenous collections from Arunachal Pradesh (India) after the soybean
High PCV, genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV), and genetic advance values with low and moderate heritability were observed for total seed yield/plot, biological yield/plot, and harvest index
Flowering and plant height-related traits were found to be more heritable, these were negatively correlated with yield
Summary
Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss (AABB) is the second most important edible oilseed crop in India after the soybean. B. juncea is a natural allotetraploid of two diploid species viz., Brassica rapa (AA) and Brassica nigra (BB). Rapeseed is a key species from the Brassica genus and a high-value crop for oil and biofuel industries. In India, during 2018–2019, rapeseed–mustard was cultivated over an Relationship Between Seed-Yield and Yield-Related Traits area of 5.96 million hectares with production and productivity of 8.32 million tons and 1,397 Kg/ha, respectively (Directorate of Economics & Statistics, and Dac&Fw., 2019). India is the second-largest rapeseed–mustard-cultivating country after China and third in production next to China and Canada (Kumari et al, 2019). In addition to its use as edible oil, mustard oil has a spectrum of industrial utilities such as paint and printing ink additives, greases and lubricants, resins and polymers, plastics, cosmetics, and in the pharmaceutical industries (Gupta, 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
