Genetic divergence for seed related characters in selected germplasm of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.).

Abstract

A total of 150 genotypes along with five checks 'A-1, Bhima, Manjira, JSF-1 and HUS-305' were evaluated in an augemented block design with five blocks at the field of Oilseed Research Unit, Dr. PDKV, Akola during rabi 2012-2013. The data were recorded on the characters viz., days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of capitula per plant, number of seeds per capitulum, 100 seed weight (g), hull content (g), volume weight (g/100ml), seed yield per plant and oil content (%). The 150 genotypes were grouped into fourteen clusters. The average inter cluster distance was maximum between clusters IX and XII (3635.208), followed by clusters VI and XII (3615.87), clusters VIII and XII (3542.073), clusters I and XII (2924.360), clusters XII and XIII (2892.245). The seed yield per plant, number of capitula per plant, days to maturity, seeds per capitulum, days to 50% flowering, volume weight and oil content contributed significantly towards genetic divergence. The present study projected the importance of GMU-3439, GMU-3482, GMU-3475 as parents for higher heterosis in F₁ and potential transgrants in subsequent generations for further improvement in respect to these characters.