HETEROSIS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF OIL QUALITY IN SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.)

To improve the oil quality of the available sunflower genotypes by exploiting heterosis-breeding program. Four Cytoplasmic Male Sterile lines TS-17, TS-18, TS-228, TS-335 and four Restorer lines 291RGI, R-25, TR-9, TR-6023 sunflower parents and their sixteen F-1 hybrids were evaluated in randomized complete block design with three replicates at Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar. Highly significant genetic differences (p<0.01) were observed among parents and F-1 hybrids for oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and behenic acid (C20:0). Mid and high parent heterosis estimates of F1 hybrids ranged from -100 to 157.31% and -100 to 113.59% for C20, -29.84 to 52.02% and -31.23 to 50.49% for C18:1, -20.12 to 16.19% and-20.66 to 9.69% for C18:2 and -100 to 201.08% and -100 to 100% for C20:0 respectively. TS-335 x 291RGI has highest negative mid and high parent heterotic effects for TS-18 x R-25 has maximum positive mid and high parent heterosis for C18:1, TS-18 x TR-6023 has maximum positive mid and high parent heterotic effects for C18:2 and highest negative mid parent heterosis was observed for C20:0 by TS-17 x TR-9, TS-18 x 291RGI. It is concluded that the mid and high parent heterotic effects improve oil quality of the parent of these eight hybrids and are suggested for use in sunflower breeding program.