Heterosis for antioxidants and horticultural traits in single cross hybrids of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Abstract

A study was conducted during 2005–07 to estimate the heterosis simultaneously for antioxidants and horticultural traits in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.). The significant differences of mean squares among parents and hybrids for various traits of economic importance indicated the presence of sufficient variation. The parents ‘CMSGA’, ‘Golden Acre’, ‘83-2’, ‘C 2’, ‘Pusa Mukta’, ‘C 4’ and ‘MR-1’ had the potential for use in further breeding as they exhibited desirable hybrid effects for ascorbic acid, earliness, frame size, net head weight and head compactness. All savoy type genotypes exclusively expressed the higher magnitude of heterosis for ascorbic acid. Per se performance of topmost 12 hybrids showed that ‘Golden Acre’, ‘CMS-GA’ and ‘83-2’ as female line involved in the evolution of 9 hybrids. The hybrid effects and heterosis for various traits indicated that there is need to involve more than two parents to develop productive and antioxidant potential cultivars and hybrids.