Aug 2026· Plant cell biotechnology and molecular biology· 0 citations
Abstract
Indian mustard belongs to the family Brassicaceae and the genus Brassica and is a major oilseed crop cultivated in India. Worldwide, it is the third-ranked oilseed crop in terms of consumption after palm oil and soybean. However, productivity remains below its potential because of various biotic and abiotic stressors coupled with a narrow genetic base, highlighting the need to broaden the genetic base and exploit heterosis to develop superior cultivars. Therefore, in the present study, general and specific combining ability analyses were conducted to assess the combining abilities of the parents and the performance of hybrids at the Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Morena, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, Gwalior, M. P., India, during Rabi 2026. During the present investigation, 16 yield-attributing traits were evaluated using 10 lines, 3 testers, and their thirty F1 hybrids developed through a line × tester mating design to estimate the magnitude and direction of combining abilities. Among the lines and testers, GCA effects showed that parents viz., Pusa Bold, Rohini, Varuna, and Vardhan were good general combiners because they exhibited desirable negative and highly significant GCA effects for days to 50% flowering, days to siliquae initiation, and plant height. However, Pusa Bold was recognized as a good general combiner because it displayed positive and highly significant GCA effects for the maximum number of quantitative traits, including seed yield per plant and harvest index. The cross-combination Pusa Jagannath × PAB-2014-4 had the highest SCA effect for seed yield per plant, biological yield, number of siliquae per plant and number of primary branches per plant, while Maya × PAB-2014-8 showed high SCA effects for seed yield per plant, biological yield and number of siliquae on the main raceme.
Brassica juncea (L.) is a key oilseed crop that is extensively grown worldwide for edible oil and animal feed. However, various biotic and abiotic stresses, together with a narrow genetic base, keep productivity below the desired level, underscoring the need to expand the genetic base and utilise heterosis to develop superior cultivars with resistance or tolerance to major diseases. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate standard heterosis for seed yield and its attributing traits among 50 diverse cross combinations developed during Rabi, 2025 and evaluated during Rabi, 2026, along with the zonal (Rohini) and national (Kranti) checks at the Research Farm, Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Morena, RVSKVV, Gwalior, M.P., India, using putative donors for stem rot resistance. Significant variability existed for yield and its attributing characters, with seed yield per plant ranging from 11.2 g for the cross L-6 × BC1F5 of Pusa Jai Kisan × Brassica napus 114 to 42.0 g for the cross Pusa Bold × F3 of Pusa Jai Kisan × Brassica napus 114. Strong hybrid vigour was evident in cross combinations such as Varuna × BC1F5 of Pusa Jai Kisan × Brassica napus 114, Sej-2 × BC2F1 of Pusa Jai Kisan × Brassica napus 114, and Shraddha × BC2F1 of Pusa Jai Kisan × Brassica napus 114, which showed high positive heterosis for yield and its component traits, including number of siliquae per plant, number of seeds per siliqua, 1000-seed weight, and earliness. The yield potential of these crosses was further supported by architectural traits, including longer racemes and a higher number of branches per plant. These results highlight the potential of targeted hybridisation to overcome current yield constraints. These promising cross combinations indicate that heterosis breeding may be used to improve yield in Indian mustard while incorporating resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot disease.
Garvit Agrawal, M. K. Tripathi, Jagendra Singh et al.· Journal of Experimental Agri...· 0 citations
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important oilseed crop contributing substantially to India’s edible oil production. The present investigation was undertaken to assess genetic variability among 30 Indian mustard genotypes evaluated for twelve quantitative traits. In Rabi, 2023–2024, the experiment was carried out at the Instructional Farm, Sri Karan Narendra College of Agriculture, Jobner, Jaipur, using a randomised block design with three replications. Significant differences between genotypes for every variable were found by analysis of variance, suggesting that there is sufficient genetic variability. The number of branches per plant showed moderate phenotypic variation (10 to 20 %), whereas the number of siliquae per plant and seed output per plant showed high phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation (>20 %). The majority of the remaining characteristics showed little phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation (<10 %). Plant height, days to maturity, oil content, days to 50 per cent flowering, siliquae per plant, seed production per plant and chlorophyll content all showed high heritability estimates, indicating little environmental influence. For certain traits, substantial heritability and moderate genetic advancement suggested that both additive and non-additive gene activity were involved, underscoring their value in selection for increased yield. Selection for traits exhibiting high heritability and genetic advance may facilitate the development of high-yielding Indian mustard varieties. Promising genotypes identified in present investigation may be employed in pedigree breeding, disruptive mating and recurrent selection breeding programme to combine favourable yield attributes in future Indian mustard cultivars.
Anchal Agarwal, Ram Kunwar, Deepak Gupta et al.· Electronic Journal of Plant...· 0 citations
Understanding the genetic basis of seed yield and component traits is essential for developing efficient breeding strategies in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern. & Coss.), where yield is governed by multiple genes and their interactions. The present study was undertaken to estimate the nature and magnitude of gene effects controlling seed yield and component traits in the cross PYR 2021-5 × PYR 2021-6 using generation mean analysis. Six basic generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) were evaluated in a Compact Family Block Design with three replications during the Rabi 2025-26 season. Sixteen quantitative traits were recorded and genetic parameters were estimated using scaling tests, joint scaling analysis and Hayman's six-parameter model. Scaling tests revealed epistasis for all traits except siliqua length, while joint scaling analysis showed that fourteen traits required four-, five-, or six-parameter digenic interaction models, highlighting the importance of epistatic interactions in their inheritance. Significant additive and dominance effects were detected for most traits, with additive × additive and dominance × dominance interactions contributing substantially to their inheritance. Duplicate epistasis was observed for ten economically important traits, including seed yield per plant, thousand-seed weight and oil content, indicating complex inheritance. The findings demonstrate that both additive and non-additive gene effects govern yield and component traits, suggesting that delayed selection combined with pedigree breeding or recurrent selection may be effective for developing improved mustard genotypes.
K. Mehra, Ayushi Singh, Rajat Nautiyal et al.· Plant cell biotechnology and...· 0 citations
The present investigation was undertaken to elucidate the nature and magnitude of gene action governing seed yield and oil quality traits in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.) using generation mean analysis. Four crosses, namely PR36 × Rohini, PRE11 × CS60, PRE15 × CS58, and PRL26 × Giriraj, were studied using six generations (P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁, and BC₂) during the Rabi seasons of 2022–2024 at Ajitmal, Uttar Pradesh, India. Analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variability for seed yield, oil content, protein content, and fatty acid composition. Significant scaling tests indicated the presence of epistatic interactions, and therefore, the six-parameter model was employed. Both additive (d) and non-additive (h) gene effects were involved in the inheritance of most traits, with additive × additive (i) and dominance × dominance (l) interactions being predominant in several cases. The results suggest that a combined breeding strategy involving hybridization followed by selection in advanced segregating generations would be effective for improving seed yield and oil quality traits in Indian mustard.
Mithalesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar· Environment and Ecology· 0 citations
The present investigation evaluated fifteen Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) genotypes for seed yield and associated component traits during the Rabi season of 2025-26 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Naini, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design with three replications. Eleven quantitative traits were recorded and analysed for variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation and path coefficient effects. Analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among genotypes for most traits, indicating the presence of exploitable genetic variability. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were recorded for the number of siliquae per plant, number of siliquae per shoot and number of seeds per plant. Broad-sense heritability was highest for the number of siliquae per plant, number of siliquae per shoot and plant height at 90 DAS, and these traits also showed high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean. Seed yield per plot showed strong positive genotypic associations with the number of siliquae per shoot, number of seeds per siliqua and number of seeds per plant. Path coefficient analysis indicated that plant height at 90 DAS, number of siliquae per shoot and number of siliquae per plant were important contributors to seed yield at the genotypic level. The findings indicate that these traits may support selection for yield improvement in Indian mustard under the studied conditions.
Sunflower is an important oilseed crop, and the development of productive hybrids depends on the identification of suitable parental lines and superior cross combinations. The present investigation was carried out to identify the best general combiners among the parental lines and hybrids with good specific combining ability and heterosis for yield and its component traits. The study evaluated four cytoplasmic male-sterile lines, six fertility restorer lines and 24 experimental hybrids during Kharif 2024 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Nandyal. The analysis of variance showed a significant line × tester interaction for all traits except plant height. Among the lines, NDCMS 30A was identified as the best general combiner for days to 50% flowering, 100-seed weight and seed yield. Among the testers, NDI 55 was identified as the best general combiner for days to 50% flowering and seed yield. Among the hybrids evaluated, NDCMS 30A × NDI 55 and CMS 234A × NDI 36 recorded significant specific combining ability effects for 100-seed weight and seed yield. Furthermore, the heterosis estimates of 24 hybrids for yield traits revealed that NDCMS 30A × NDI 55 and CMS 148A × NDLR 32 showed significant positive heterobeltosis and standard heterosis for seed yield. The study revealed that NDCMS 30A × NDI 55, CMS 234A × NDI 36 and CMS 148A × NDLR 32 were promising in terms of specific combining ability and heterosis and may be further exploited for the development of inbred lines and the improvement of hybrid vigour in sunflower.
B. V. P. Reddy, K. Venkataramanamma, K. Prabhakar et al.· Journal of Scientific Resear...· 0 citations