CHAKWAL SARSON: A NEW HIGH YIELDING RAPESEED VARIETY

Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal has a strong breeding programme for oilseed research including Brassica crops. Long and con- sistent breeding efforts on Brassica improvement programme by the breeders has resulted in the development of a high yielding and drought tolerant elite line SPS-5, selected from the segregating progenies of a cross between Ganyou-4 x Westar. Breeding was carried out by the pedigree method and the elite line was evaluated for its yield potential in various yield trials conducted at BARI, Chakwal from 1994 to 1998. Based on the desirable phenotypic traits and superior seed yield, SPS-5 was approved as a rapeseed variety "Chakwal Sarson" by the Punjab Seed Council in 2002 for general cultivation in the Punjab barani tract.