Heterosis for quantitative traits in Gobhi Sarson (Brassica napus L)

Abstract

Five genotypes of Gobhi Sarson (Brassica napus L.) were crossed in a half-diallel mating design to calculate heterosis
for seed yield and yield components. Ten crosses and their parents were evaluated in the field followed by a randomized
complete block design with three replications. The F1 hybrids and their parents were evaluated at Mata Gujri College,
Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for all the traits in crosses and highly
significant heterosis was detected among the hybrids. It indicated the existence of considerable genetic variability in
breeding material. Seed yield per plant showed 70.8 to 136.5% significant difference in heterobeltiosis followed by
secondary branches per plant (80.5 1o 99.0%), biological yield (30.7 to 90.7%), siliqua length (33.6 to 56.7%), primary
branches (18.9 to 42.1%), number of seeds per siliqua (21.1 to 32.9%), plant height (15.0 to 27.3%), harvest index (12.6
to 23.7%) as well as biological yield showed 41.9 to 77.8% significant difference in standard heterosis followed by
secondary branches per plant (42.3 to 64.9%), siliqua length (31.3 to 46.5%), seed yield per plant (9.4 to 44.6%), number
of seed per siliqua (16.3 to 26.4%), primary branches (22.8 to 42.8%), days to 50% flowering (-7.0 to -21.1%) and days to
first flowering (-6.0 to 10.3%). The crosses with high seed yield per plant indicate a considerable potential to embark on
breeding of hybrid in Gobhi Sarson.