Genetic variation among diverse safflower genotypes for some agro-morphological traits

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the genetic diversity among 100 safflower genotypes concerning seed yield performance and seventeen morphological traits and yield components. Employing an alpha 10 × 10 lattice design, the two trials were performed in 2022 and 2023, with two replicates. Principal component analyses (PCA) explained 65% and 61% of the variability in the first and second years respectively. In the first year, the yield of a single plant was positively correlated with plant height, lateral capitulum total weight and seed number and weight, and main capitulum seed number and weight. In the second year, the results obtained generally corroborated the first year. In both years, the PC1 and PC2 axes divided genotypes into four main groups which contained 14, 11, 15, and 10 entries respectively. Comparison of the traits of the four clusters demonstrated that Cluster-II and Cluster-IV exhibited the highest single plant yields., These clusters can therefore be considered as potential heterotic groups in crossbreeding programs aimed at producing genotypes with superior performance. About 21 genotypes of 100 studied were identified as good candidates for use in safflower breeding programs.

Keywords

• germplasm
• principal components analysis
• seed yield
• yield components