Use of single seed descent versus pedigree selection for development of elite parental lines in castor (Ricinus communis L.)

• Published in: Genetic resources and crop evolution 2021, Vol.68 (1), p.295-305
• Main Authors: Lavanya, C., Ushakiran, B., Sarada, C., Manjunatha, T., Senthilvel, S., Ramya, K. T., Prasad, M. Santhalakshmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Agronomy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding methods; Crop yield; Descent; Flowering; Genetic improvement; Heritability; Life Sciences; Methods; Pedigree; Plant breeding; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Principal components analysis; Research Article; Ricinus communis; Statistical analysis; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0925-9864; 1573-5109
• DOI: 10.1007/s10722-020-00985-6

Castor ( Ricinus communis L.) is a highly cross pollinated crop and for the first time breeding efforts through single seed descent (SSD) were done in castor in India. The improvement effects of SSD is compared to pedigree selection (PS) method which is commonly followed. A cross between two diverse parents, VP-1 and 48-1 was attempted and further selections were made both through SSD and PS methods. Sixty lines, 30 each generated by SSD and PS methods were evaluated for agronomic traits and yield potential along with two checks in two separate sets for 2 years under rainfed conditions. The data was subjected to descriptive statistics, genetic parameters, pooled ANOVA using SAS/STAR software, principal component analysis etc. to compare the efficacy of SSD and PS methods. Ten elite lines of SSD and 11of PS method recorded 128% and 89% seed yield increase over the male parent. Two methods of selection per se were not significantly different while effect of selection method as indicated by interaction of methods with lines was significant for pooled mean seed yield. Moderate to low GCV and PCV and high heritability were observed for most of the traits studied in both the methods. The trends of genetic gain from selection was different in both the methods for days to 50% flowering, hundred seed weight and seed yield at 120 DAS. The present study indicated that SSD breeding method is equally effective, efficient and less expensive than PS in producing diverse elite parental lines in highly cross pollinated crop like castor through artificial selfing.