Generation Mean Analysis Studies in Safflower (Carthamus tinctures L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted at experimental research farm of Agriculture Botany College of Agriculture, Latur, in 2021, with a view to study the genetics of yield and yield components through generation mean analysis. The scaling test exhibited that, there was presence of epistatic gene interaction. The duplicate epistasis were observed in days to maturity and test weight in cross, JMU-1339 x NARI-6 and cross, JMU-1339 x EC-757665 for days to 50% flowering, number of branches per plant, number of seeds per capitulum and oil contents in cross-I; for plant height, number of capitulum per plant and hull contents in cross, JMU-1339 x EC-757665. This suggests the need of specific breeding procedure such as intermating of most desirable segregants followed by selfing and selecting superior genotypes coupled with progeny testing to exploit the population under study. Selection in early generation would be effective when additive effects are larger than non-additive ones. Further if the non-additive portions are larger than additive one, the improvement of the character need intensive selection through later generations.