Genetic variability in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Dapoli, Ratnagiri during Rabi 2022-23. Forty sunflower genotypes were cultivated in Randomized block design with two replications. The aim of the experiment was to determine the genetic variability for seed yield and oil content. The results of the study recorded a broad range of variability for all the characters under study. The traits head diameter (cm), plant height at harvest (cm) and seed yield per plant (g) recorded high phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation. High heritability was observed for all the traits except 100 seed weight and seed filling percentage, the characters plant height at harvest (cm), head diameter (cm) and seed yield per plant (g) showed maximum genetic advance as a percent of mean. Hence these traits should be used in future sunflower improvement programmes.