Combining Ability of some Sunflower New Inbred Lines

To produce new hybrids and study the combining ability of new sunflower inbred lines, 60 F1 hybrids derived from crossing between 30 inbred lines and 2 testers along with Azargol, SHF81-85, SHF81-90 and Cms1052/1*14 as checks were evaluated using simple lattice design with two replications in Agricultural Research Station of Islamabad-e-Gharb in 2011. Analysis of variance showed that genotypes were significantly different for all recorded traits except days to end of flowering and seed oil content. Hybrids B86-353.1AF81-196, B86-284.1AF81-196 and B86-345.1AF81-196 had the highest seed yield (5583, 5331 and 5235 kgha-1, respectively). Combining ability analysis using design II of Comstock and Robinson showed that general combining ability of inbred lines and testers for seed yield was significant at 1% level. Inbred lines B86-353, B86-284 and B86-345 had the highest general combining ability for seed yield, whereas inbred lines B86-373.2 and B86-382.2 had the highest negative combining ability for days to maturity. Specific combining ability effect was significant for some agronomic traits such as seed yield, head diameter, plant height and days to maturity. The highest specific combining ability for seed yield belonged to hybrids B86-300.2AF81-112 and B86-346.2AF81-112. Hybrid B86-287.1AF81-196 had the highest negative specific combining ability for days to maturity..