Estimation of heterosis and pattern of inheritance for elite economic yield traits in opium poppy (<em>Papaver somniferum</em> L.)

Abstract

A line × tester analysis was conducted to assets the heterosis, heterobeltiosis and economic heterosis of sixty F1’s by crossing 12 lines/females and 5 testers/males of diverse parents for fourteen viable economical traits in Papaver somniferum L. The analysis of variance concluded that parents vs hybrids contrast were recorded only 50% significant for the characters and rest non-significant for the traits like days to flowering (50%), no. of leaves/plant, pedicel length, no. of capsule/plant, Seed yield, dry husk capsule and codeine alkaloid content (%) indicated, existence of plentiful variability among parents and crosses for all the characters studied. The investigational result revealed that hybrids L10×T2, L10×T5, L12×T3 and L12×T4 exhibited the best heterosis over better as well as economic parent both for more than one traits, namely- no. of capsule, capsule index, seed yield (g/plant), dry husk yield (g/plant), morphine, codeine, thebaine, papervine and nosacapine alkaloid content (%) in desirable direction. Therefore, these promising crosses can be recommended for exploitation of heterosis to obtain appropriate segregants for crop improvement program in opium poppy.