Identification of Crosses Heterotic over Standard Check for Earliness and High Oil Content in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L)

To estimate the extent of heterosis in sunflower for earliness and oil content, ninety-six hybrids were tested in line × tester mating fashion consisting of six CMS lines and sixteen testers (10 R × R S3 high oil content restorer lines and 6 R × R S4 early restorer lines) were evaluated in a simple lattice design, simultaneously parents were also evaluated in RCBD design at Main Agricultural Research Station, Hebbal, Bangalore during summer 2020-21. Analysis of variances revealed that the genotypes, parents, lines, crosses and parent vs crosses showed highly significant differences for earliness and oil content. The high oil content hybrids viz., CMS 903A × 5-2-1 (79.50 days) and CMS 903A × 44-2-1 (80 days), and early hybrids i.e., CMS 903A × 2-3-1-2 (76 days) and NDCMS4A × 2-3-1-2 (78.50 days) recorded good mean performance and high significant heterosis for earliness in a negative direction over the standard check KBSH-44 (National check). With regard to the oil content, the high oil content hybrids like NDCMS2A × 30-10-1 (41.63%), CMS 903A × 38-4-1 (41.61%) and CMS 234A × 38-4-1 (41.61%), in the case of early hybrids viz., CMS 911A × 25-2-4-2 (41.11%), CMS 911A × 4-1-3-1 (39.69%) and CMS 911A × 2-3-1-2 (39.59%) were showed good mean performance and highest significant standard heterosis over the standard checks like KBSH-44 and KBSH-53. Similarly, regarding the seed yield plant-1 (g), the hybrids viz., CMS 911A × 8-5-5-1[E] (70.60g), CMS 234A × 31-1-1[H] (66.20g) and CMS 1103A × 30-10-1[H] (65.95g) were manifested desirable mean performance and also higher significant heterosis over standard check KBSH-44.