Characterization and evaluation of cauliflower germplasm

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to study the morphological characterization; character association studies and genetic divergence in early cauliflower at IIHR during the kharif season of 2008-09. In the present investigation through characterization studies, out of 51 early cauliflower genotypes, IIHR-272, IIHR-263, IIHR-266 and IIHR-390 showed superior performance for high marketable curd weight and white compact curds along with resistance to biotic stresses hence these lines may be directly used for cultivation or as a source of desirable traits in a breeding programme for the improvement of curd yield in cauliflower. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were observed for characters like, plant weight, leaf weight, curd size, net curd weight, net plot yield, yield per hectare, protein, vitamin-C and marketable curd weight. Moderate values of GCV and PCV were observed for characters like, leaf number, curd depth and curd diameter. It was observed that high heritability values were associated with high values of genetic gain or advance for plant weight, leaf weight, curd diameter, curd size, net curd weight, net plot yield, yield per hectare, protein, vitamin-C, marketable curd weight and high heritability values with moderate genetic advance for leaf number, indicating these characters are governed by additive gene action. Character association revealed highly significant positive association of plant weight, leaf number, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf weight, curd depth, curd diameter, curd size, net curd weight, net plot yield and yield per hectare with marketable curd weight at both the phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path coefficient analysis also revealed that maximum direct effect of characters like, plant weight, leaf number, leaf length, curd size, net curd weight on marketable curd weight at both the levels. Therefore for, genetic improvement in cauliflower it is better to adopt direct selection through plant weight, leaf number, leaf length, curd size, net curd weight. In genetic divergence study, fifty one genotypes differed significantly for the 16 quantitative characters considered collectively and highest diversity was found between genotypes namely, IIHR-323-13, IIHR-214-5, IIHR-277-14 and IIHR-263, IIHR-272. Hence in order to get more variability in heterosis breeding programme crossing between these genotypes is desirable. It was observed that marketable curd weight, plant weight, net plot yield and curd size had contributed predominantly towards divergence.