Studies on parental synchronization in flowering for hybrid seed production in Onion (Allium cepa L)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore in Rabi season during the years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 to study the flowering of CMS (A) and pollinator lines (C) of onion cv. Arka Lalima for effective synchrony in hybrid seed production. Results indicated that days to 100% flowering and days to complete flowering in a plant varied significantly in the parental lines and C line was earlier than A line by 12 days and 25 days respectively. The duration of flowering in a plant was also lesser in C line (23 days) than in A line (29 days). Due to lack of floral synchrony between parental lines, pollen availability is a limiting factor in hybrid seed production of Arka Lalima. Delayed planting of C lines by one week after planting A lines resulted in synchronised flowering of parental lines at peak flowering stage. This also resulted in higher fruit set (80%) and hybrid seed yield (15g/plant) as against planting of A and C lines simultaneously (29.54% and 0.38g respectively).