ESTIMATION OF HETEROSIS FOR SOME IMPORTANT TRAITS IN MUSTARD (BRASSICA JUNCEA L.)

Abstract

For the estimation of mid-parent and better-parent heterosis in Brassica juncea L. genotypes an experiment was conducted at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar during 2004-05 and 2005-06 using 8 x 8 full diallel. All the 56 F1 hybrids and their parents were planted in a randomized complete block design with two replications. Out of 56 hybrids, negative mid-parent and better-parent heterosis were estimated in 15 and 10 hybrids for days to 50 % emergence, in 20 and 11 hybrids for days to 50 % flowering, in 34 and 49 crosses for days to physiological maturity and in 37 and 34 crosses for plant height, respectively whereas positive heterosis were estimated in 12 and 10 crosses for number of primary branches plant-1. However, significant negative mid-parent and better-parent heterosis were recorded in 5 and 4 hybrids for days to