Jul 2026· Plant cell biotechnology and molecular biology· Vol 27, pp. 335-345· 0 citations
Abstract
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.
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
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.
Soyal Davalasab Wathar, M. K. Tripathi, Jagendra Singh et al.· Plant cell biotechnology and...· 0 citations
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a major commercial crop and an important source of natural fibre, making the understanding of its genetic architecture essential for crop improvement. The present study employed generation mean analysis using six generations (P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂) to investigate the nature of gene action governing yield-contributing and fibre quality traits. Significant scaling tests and chi-square (X2) values for several traits indicated the presence of epistatic gene interactions. The analysis revealed that both additive and non-additive gene effects contributed to trait inheritance, with duplicate epistasis predominating for several economically important traits. These findings suggest that the inheritance of yield and fibre quality traits is complex, involving multiple gene interactions. Therefore, breeding strategies that exploit both additive and non-additive genetic variation, including selection in advanced generations and population improvement approaches, are likely to be more effective for developing superior cotton genotypes.
P. Ashita, K. Chaudhari, Chintan v Kapadia et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
The present investigation was conducted during the 2023 rabi season at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, to assess the genetic variability and identify key yield-contributing traits in 100 rapeseed mustard (Brassica spp.) genotypes under natural white rust infection using principal component analysis (PCA). Eleven quantitative traits were evaluated and PCA revealed that five principal components (PCs) had eigenvalues greater than 1, cumulatively explaining 69.51 % of the total genetic variation. The first principal component (PC1) accounted for the highest variance (17.2 %) and was primarily influenced by harvest index, seed yield per plant and days to maturity. The second principal component (PC2) contributed 16.5 % of the variance and was defined by disease intensity, days to 50 % flowering, test weight and number of siliquae per plant. Subsequent components also showed significant contributions from key agronomic traits such as biological yield, siliqua length and seeds per siliqua. The analysis helped distinguish genotypes such as PAB 9511, GIRIRAJ, JAWAHAR MUSTARD-3 and EC 399301 as superior based on their high contributions to yield traits. These findings provide valuable insights for selection and breeding strategies aimed at improving yield potential and disease resilience in rapeseed mustard.
S. Shivansh, V. Prabhakar, K. Vijay et al.· Plant Science Today· 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.
Aims: To evaluate combining ability, determine the nature of gene action governing yield and yield-contributing traits, and identify superior parents and promising hybrid combinations in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).
Study Design: Line × tester mating design.
Place and Duration of Study: Oilseeds Research Station, Latur, Maharashtra, India, during kharif 2025 (hybrid development) and rabi 2025–26 (field evaluation).
Methodology: Six cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines and seven restorer lines were crossed in a line × tester mating design to generate 42 hybrids. The resulting hybrids, together with their 13 parents and three standard checks, were evaluated in a randomised block design with two replications for ten agro-morphological and quality traits. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, line × tester analysis to estimate general and specific combining ability, and assessment of gene action following Kempthorne (1957).
Results: Significant variation was observed among the 58 genotypes for all ten traits studied, indicating sufficient genetic variability for effective selection and hybrid development. Combining ability analysis revealed significant GCA and SCA effects for most traits, with SCA variance exceeding GCA variance and indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action. CMS-249A and CMS-47A exhibited desirable GCA effects for several yield-related traits, whereas EC-601924 and EC-601751 were superior restorers. The hybrid combinations DSP-11A × EC-601924, CMS-249A × RHAGPR-3, and CMS-10A × EC-601751 expressed high SCA effects together with desirable performance for yield and related traits, indicating their suitability for hybrid breeding.
Conclusion: Both additive and non-additive genetic effects contributed to the inheritance of yield and yield-contributing traits, although non-additive gene action was predominant. The identified superior parents and hybrids may be utilised in sunflower hybrid-breeding programmes to develop high-yielding hybrids.
Sharanabasava Sangamesh Ambakkanavar, M. V. Dhuppe, R. Chinmay et al.· Plant cell biotechnology and...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
