Exploitation of heterosis for yield and nut characters in dwarf hybrids of arecanut (Areca catechu L.)
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Date
2007-02
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Abstract
Hybrids involving Hirehalli Dwarf and released varieties of Arecanut namely, Mangala, Sumangala, Sreemangala and Mohitnagar were wanted for yield performance and nut characters. The experiment was laid out with eight hybrids including reciprocals along with five parents at the CPCRI Regional Station, Vittal in 1992 in an RBD with three replications in a plot size of 8 plants. Yield traits viz., number of nuts produced and fresh weight of nuts (kg) per palm were recorded for 4 consecutive years from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. Nut components traits namely fresh nut weight (g), length and breadth of nuts (cm), dry nut weight (g), dry kernel weight (g), kernel length and breadth (cm) were recorded in 1998-99 season and recovery of chali from fresh nut was also worked out for the same. Heterosis for the hybrids was also measured by taking mid parental value in respect ofeno. of nuts/palm, weight of nuts/palm and also nut characters. Analysis of the data revealed the significant differences among the hybrids and parents for the characters studied. Hybrid H.Dwarf x Sumangala showed high yielding tendency in the early years of bearing (349.25 nuts/palm/year) followed by crosses Mangala x H.Dwarf and H.Dwarf x Mohitnagar (269.67 and 267.05 nuts/palm/year, respectively). While the highest fresh nut yield of 12.08 kg per/palm/year was noticed in the parent Mohitnagar. Among the crosses, Hirehalli Dwarf x Sumangala and Mohitnagar x H.Dwarf showed promising trend in yield by recording 9.14 and 8.91 kg of fresh nut weight/palm/year, respectively. The maximum heterosis of 53.32 per cent and 96.18 per cent for the number of nuts/palm and fresh nut weight/palm was noticed in the cross Mangala x H.Dwarf. While Mohitnagar x H.Dwarf and Mangala x H.Dwarf exhibited higher heterotic effects for most of the nut characters. Over all, H.Dwarf x Sumangala and Mohitnagar x H.Dwarf were found to be promising in yield in the initial years of bearing. Parents Sumangala, Mangala and Mohitnagar have been the common parents with H. Dwarf for high yielding hybrids suggesting its usefulness as best combiners for exploiting heterosis for economically important traits of arecanut.
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Arecanut, heterosis, dwarf hybrids, nut characters
Citation
Plantation Crops Research and Development in the New Millennium,(Proceedings of PLACROSYM XIV) CPCRI, Kasaragod 2002 p-227-231