Heterosis for some physio-morphological plant traits in spring wheat crosses
Main Article Content
Abstract
An experiment was conducted at the experimental site of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan to study heterosis analysis and gene action on seven wheat varieties and their F1 hybrids in 7×7 diallel fashion. Data for flag leaf area, flag leaf related traits including epidermal cell size, stomatal frequency, leaf venation, stomatal size, hygrophilic colloids and grain yield per plant was collected and analyzed. Higher positive values for flag leaf area (16.53) and leaf venation (9.89) were found in MH-97 × 4072. Negative hygrophilic colloids (-28.00) and stomatal frequency (-13.92), however, positive flag leaf area (9.35) and leaf venation (5.62) were recorded for Uqab-2000 × Punjab-96 with, and. In contrast, 4072 × Punjab-96 produced positive leaf venation (8.36) and epidermal cell size (2.36), but negative stomatal frequency (-8.18), stomatal size (-3.65). Considering genetic behavior of these three crosses, they should be utilized for future wheat breeding program to develop varieties able to survive not only under optimum environmental conditions but also perform better under stressful environment.
Keywords: F1 hybrids; Flag leaf; Flag leaf related traits; Gene action; Heterosis; Wheat