Heritability and association for agronomic traits, sesamin and sesamolin of sesame in parental lines and their hybrids

Abstract

Heritability and association between agronomic traits with sesamin and sesamolin are very important. The aims of this study were to estimate broad-sense heritability and to investigate association of agronomic traits with sesamin and sesamolin in sesame. Seven parental lines and twenty-one hybrid genotypes were evaluated in RCBD with three replications. Agronomic traits were recorded. Sesamin and sesamolin were determined using HPLC. Parent and hybrid populations had large genetic coefficient of variation for both sesamin and sesamolin. Broad-sense heritability of sesamin and sesamolin was high for both parent and hybrid populations. Therefore, selection for those traits based on phenotype in the early generation should be effective. Plant height had significant negative correlation and the largest negative direct effect on both target traits in parental population. Day to harvest was the most influential trait on the target traits in hybrids. These results may facilitate sesame breeding programs to improve lignan content in sesame.

Keywords

• lignan
• antioxidant
• genetic variance
• correlation
• indirect selection