Genetic gain from half-sib recurrent selection in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

The present study was undertaken to determine the expected genetic gain for seed yield and its components from half-sib selection method, to assess the effect of intermating on genetic correlation and to assess the frequency of half-sib families significantly superior over Bhima and A1. The 200 half-sib families were developed and evaluated in rabi 2008, along with five check varieties. Expected genetic advance was 39.68 per cent and 45.68 per cent at 10 per cent selection intensity over population mean and Bhima respectively for the seed yield per plant. Days to 50% flowering and maturity exhibited negative correlation with seed yield per plant indicating breaking of positive correlation to negative correlation. Therefore, selection of high yielding families with early maturity is possible. This indicate that the half-sib recurrent selection is effective for increasing population mean and extraction of superior recombinant lines better than check varieties. There are ten half-sib families significantly superior over Bhima and eight half-sib families significantly superior over A1.