Association of Heterosis and Heterobeltiosis for Yield and its Contributing Traits in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss)

Abstract

The heterosis breeding strategy is one of the most successful technological approaches for improving Indian mustard varieties for seed yield quality and quantity, as well as other yield contributing character. The present investigation was undertaken ten genetically diverse parents following diallel mating design excluding reciprocals. The resultant 45 F1s and all the ten parents were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications under three different environments. Data on quantitative characters were recorded and heterosis and heterobeltosis were determined that showed sufficient degree of heterosis and heterobeltiosis for all the attributes. The crosses, RGN-13 x RH-406 was identified for days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of secondary branches per plant, number of siliquae per plant, 1000-seed weight, oil content, leaf area index and harvest index and the cross RGN-303 x RGN-229 was identified for days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of secondary branches, number of seed per siliqua and 1000-seed weight. Among the 45 crosses, RGN-13 × RH-406 emerged as good heterotic as well as heterobeltiotic crosses for seed yield and other contributing characters.