GENETIC VARIABILITY STUDIES IN BRASSICA F2 POPULATIONS DEVELOPED THROUGH INTER AND INTRA-SPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION

Abstract

Assessment of variability and the heritable proportion of this variability are crucial to estimate the genetic advance in oilseed Brassica improvement, as in all crops. These may be variable in different segregating populations, including the F2 populations of different crosses and should be studied to select the appropriate segregating population for further improvement. We; therefore, report on the estimation of variability, heritability and genetic advance for ten parental lines and the four intraspecific and four interspecific F2 populations of brassica at New Developmental Farm, of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar for biochemical parameters. The experimental material studied was grown in the 1st week of October, 2010 in a randomized complete block design with three replications. In all genotypes highly significant (p≤0.01) differences were recorded for protein, glucosinolates, oleic acid, oil, erucic acid and linolenic acid content. Parental genotypes N-507, N-542 and N-2740 were superior in high oil, protein and oleic acid contents. Parental lines C-118, N-2740, N-532 were better for lower glucosinolate, linolenic and erucic acid contents. All the F2 populations were comparatively better than their respective parental genotypes for oil, glucosinolate, erucic acid, protein, oleic acid and linolenic acid content. F2 populations N-502×N-507, N-540×J-109 had high range of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance.