Evaluation, classification and characterization of Toria germplasm for different agro-morphological traits

Abstract

Ninety two germplasm accessions of Toria [Brassica rapa (L.) var. Toria] were evaluated and characterized
for 22 agro-morphological traits as per DUS descriptor of rapeseed-mustard at Oilseeds Section, CCS Haryana
Agricultural University, Hisar and established distinctness among different accessions for the traits under
study. Majority of the accessions were early in flowering, medium in maturity and had narrow leaves with
medium number of lobes on them. Among all the accessions, four lines were observed with short height,
while majority of them were grouped under intermediate category of primary and secondary branches/plant
with many siliquae on the main shoot. Similarly, intermediate number of seeds/siliqua, medium seed size,
medium seed yield/plant and medium oil content were most dominant among all the accessions studied.
Characterization and classification on the basis of qualitative traits revealed that hairs were absent on the
leaves of 19 accessions, leaf colour of more than 40% lines was dark and purple green, whereas majority of
the cases were characterized with lyrate type of leaf dentation. Yellow and light yellow colour of petals was
pre-dominant and more than half of the lines were grouped under intermediate siliqua surface texture
category with high siliqua density on the main shoots. Moreover, semi-appressed siliqua angle with main
shoot along with reddish-brown seed coat colour was also most common in the germplasm. Maximum
genetic distance was observed between the accessions, TC-11 and TC-68, and utilization of these accessions
has been advocated in crossing programme to get better transgressive segregants. The results of present
study can be used for formation of data base and reference lines, varietal/genotype identification and will also
be helpful in augmentation of future Toria improvement progarammes.