Abstract

                                A study was carried out in line x tester fashion with thirteen parents including three CMS lines and ten inbreds in sunflower. Thirty hybrids were developed and evaluated for seed yield, oil yield, oil content and days to fifty per cent flowering in two seasons viz., abi, 2005-06 and kharif 2006. The combining ability analysis revealed significant differences among the parents for all the characters studied indicating the presence of preponderance of dominance gene action for all the characters. The parents 47A, CSFI 5156, CSFI 168 and CSFI 5412 were the best general combiners for seed and oil yield per plant and oil content. The parents 47A, CSFI 5159, CSFI 5156, CSFI 5168 and CSFI 5419 were the best general combiners for oil content. The hybrids CSFH 6037, CSFH 6039, CSFH 6043 and CSFH 6045 were good specific combiners for seed yield per plant. The hybrids CSFH 6039, CSFH 6040, CSFH 6045, CSFH 6058 and CSFH 6053 were positive specific combiners for oil content. The parental line viz., 47A and the testers viz., CSFI 5159 and CSFI 5168, would be desirable parents for seed yield, oil content and oil yield per plant and the hybrids viz., CSFH 6037, CSFH 6039, CSFH 6043, CSFH 6045 and CSFH 6058 were identified as best specific combiners for seed and oil yield and these hybrids could be exploited for heterosis in sunflower.

Key words : Sunflower, line x tester, gca effects, sca effects