Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advancement for Yield and Yield-associated Traits of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

A field study was carried out at the Botany farm of the College of Agriculture, Pune, during the Kharif season of 2024-25. The experiment employed a Randomized Block Design with three replications to evaluate thirty-two sunflower genotypes. The primary objective was to assess the genetic variability present for seed yield and its component traits. The findings revealed a wide spectrum of variability for all the characters investigated. The estimates for the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) ranged from low to high. Notably, high magnitudes of both PCV and GCV were observed for seed yield per plant (35.17% and 33.13%, respectively), followed by plant height (15.80% and 15.07%), head diameter (14.65% and 13.04%), and 100-seed weight (15.22% and 12.76%). High heritability in conjunction with high genetic advance was recorded for plant height, seed yield per plant, days to 50% flowering, and days to maturity. This combination suggests the predominance of additive gene action for the inheritance of these traits, presenting an ideal scenario for effective selection. Consequently, these characters should be prioritized in future sunflower breeding programs for crop improvement.