Line X tester analysis of morphophysiological traits and their correlations with seed yield and oil content in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

One of the primary tasks of sunflower breeding is the development of inbred lines by interspecific hybridization for the purpose of obtaining high-yielding, stable hybrids that are characterized by altered plant appearance and the ability to produce a higher number of plants per unit area under intensive agriculture conditions. Studied in this paper by the line x tester method were seven new divergent cms inbred lines (A) lines, three Rf restorers utilized as testers, and 21 F1 hybrids developed. Significant differences in the mean values of all the traits studied were observed. Highly significant GCA and SCA values were obtained for petiole length (PL) and total leaf area per plant (TLA). The nonadditive component of genetic variance played the main role in the inheritance of both these traits. This was confirmed by the GCA/SCA ratios for PL and LA in the F1 generation, which were below the value of one (0.43 and 0.07, respectively). The greatest average contribution to the expression of PL (49.9%) and TLA (57.1%) was found in the female A lines. A positive correlation was found between seed yield (SY) and PL (0.374*) and TLA (0.630**), while seed oil content (SOC) and TLA were found to be negatively correlated (-0.520**). The findings of this study can be used in the development of new high-yielding sunflower hybrids with high yields based on interspecific hybridization.