GENETIC POTENTIAL OF YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS FOR IMPROVING YIELD IN MUSTARD (Brassica spp.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on 25 genotypes of mustard at the experimental field under the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur to study the genetic potential of yield contributing characters in mustard (Brassica spp.) during November 2009 to December 2010. Data were recorded on plant height, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, number of siliqua per plant, length of siliqua per, diameter of siliqua, number of seed per siliqua, 1000 seed weight and yield per plant. A remarkable variation in plant characters and yield performance was noticed among the genotypes. BARI-9 gave the highest seed yield (5.64gm/pl). while BARI-6 produced the minimum (1.75 gm/pl) yield among the genotypes of the mustard. Number of primary branches, number of siliqua per plant and yield per plant showed high genotypic coefficient of variations (40.03, 43.24, 30.37, respectively), and high heritability values 97.42, 92.87, 96.30 respectively with high genetic advances in percentage of mean 81.26, 81.93, 61.25, respectively were observed for the characters. The highest genetic advance was observed in number of siliqua per plant (87.10). Seed yield per plant showed had highly significant and positive correlation with number of siliqua per plant (0.612) and plant height (0.382). 1000-seed weight showed only positive correlation with seed yield per plant. Number of seed per siliqua showed highly significant but negative association with seed yield per plant and the rest of the characters exhibited the negative and non significant correlation with seed yield per plant. Path coefficient had revealed maximum direct positive effect on seed yield per plant via number of siliqua per plant. Plant height, length of siliqua and 1000-seed weight had positive but lower directs effect on the seed yield per plant.