Breeding value of parents for creation of simple and three-line sunflower hybrids

Abstract

The article presents the results of evaluating parents of F₁ sunflower hybrids for valuable economic features. Morphological traits of the crop initial forms were established. The levels of the general and specific combining abilities of sunflower lines and sterile hybrids were determined by yield capacity. Promising starting material was selected for heterosis breeding.

The aim and tasks of the study. The purpose of the experiments was to establish the value of sunflower parents in terms of levels of morphological and economic characteristics and to determine their combining ability.

Material and methods. The experiments were conducted in the breeding crop rotation fields of the Plant Production Institute nd a VYa Yuryev of NAAS by the preliminary testing method of randomized blocksin 3 replicas in 2014-2016.

The test material was 208 female forms, of which 38 were self-pollinated lines bred at three research institutes of Ukraine (Plant Production Institute nd a VYa Yuryev of NAAS, Kharkiv; Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute - National Center for Seed and Cultivar Investigations, Odesa; Institute of Oil Crops of NAAS, Zaporizhzhia), and 170 were simple sterile hybrids created on their basis.

The test material was evaluated for the growing season length, yield capacity, oil content, plant height, and calathidium diameter.

To test starting material for combining ability and to create experimental sunflower hybrids on this basis, a 62/5 tester crossing design was planned and implemented. Five lines-fertility pollen restorers of different morphotypes were taken as testers.

Results and discussion. The diversity of parents of sunflower hybrids by economic features was studied. Strong effects of the combining ability were noticed for two sunflower lines - pollen fertility restorers − Kh06134V and Kh06135V. Hybrid combinations derived from crossed with these lines gave high yields: on average 3.16 t/ha and 3.24 t/ha, respectively, in 2014; 3.47 t/ha and 3.58 t/ha, respectively, in 2015.

Analysis of the effects of the combining ability of female lines by yield capacity distinguished two lines, Od4301A and Skh12A, with high combining ability effects. Hybrid combinations derived from crosses with them gave high yields: 2.88 t/ha and 2.65 t/ha, respectively, in 2014; 3.78 t/ha and 3.64 t/ha, respectively, in 2015.

The combining ability of simple sterile hybrids, which were used in crossing as female components, was established. Sterile hybrid Zl42A/Kh51B was singled out; the resulting three-line hybrids with it gave consistently high yields of 3.06 t/ha in 2014 and 3.48 t/ha in 2015. The two-year data show that female forms Od391A/Kh1002B and Zl10A/Mkh524B had consistently strong effects of the GCA by yield capacity.

Conclusions. Analysis of the data demonstrate advantages of the distinguished lines with high yield capacity and strong effects of the combining ability. Parent lines Kh06134V, Kh06135V, Od4301A, Skh12A and sterile F₁ hybrids Zl42A/Kh51B, Od391A/Kh1002B, Zl10A /Mkh524B are recommended to use in breeding programs as starting material for obtaining high-yielding interline simple and tree-line sunflower hybrids