Heterosis for oil content and oil quality in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The present study was aimed to estimate heterosis for oil content and oil quality of the newly developed hybrids of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) using selected parental lines. For this purpose five cytoplasmic male sterile lines CMS 11A, CMS 47A, CMS 67A, CMS 68Aand CMS 234A and eight restorer lines 95 C-1, P93R, P103R, P124R, P134R, P 145R, P 167R and RCR 8297 and their forty F1 hybrids along with commercial check PSH 569 were evaluated in randomized complete block design with three replications at Ludhiana during 2014. For oil content the magnitude of mid-parent heterosis ranged from-5.25% (CMS 11 Ax 95 C-1) to 21.40% (CMS 234Ax P167R). The value for heterobeltiosis varied from-12.45% (CMS 11Ax95C-1) to 13.25% (CMS 11 Ax P 103R). The standard heterosis ranged from-22.77% (CMS 11A x P 145R) to 1.73% (CMS 67Ax P 134R) over PSH 569. Mid, high and standard heterosis estimates for oil quality i.e. fatty acid composition of F1 hybrids ranged from-27.94% to-28.57%, -22.81% to-37.18%, -2% to-44% for palmitic acid (C16: 0); from-47.73% to-18.03%, -50.98% to-2.27%, -44.74% to-13.16% for stearic acid (C18: 0); from-35.06% to-36.91%, -49.15% to-16.44%, -59.86% to-8.17% for oleic acid (C18: 1) and from-26.12% to-55.03%, -35.93% to-34.28%, -4.52% to-115.81% for linoleic acid (C18: 2), respectively. In the present investigation, fourteen out of the forty experimental hybrids recorded significantly positive heterosis over mid parent, whereas twenty hybrids recorded significant positive heterosis over better parent for oleic acid. The range of standard heterosis over check hybrids PSH 569 was from-59.86% to 8.17%. Among the hybrids, only one CMS234Ax 95 C-1 had significantly positive heterosis (8.17%) over standard check hybrid PSH 569. Thus the hybrids showed significant standard heterosis for both oil content and quality, therefore, these parental lines may further be used for improvement of oil content and quality.