Heritability of plant height and head diameter in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

Purpose of this study was to estimate heritability, in broad and narrow sense, for sunflower plant height and head diameter in order to evaluate success of selection of these traits. Fifteen sunflower populations were evaluated. Heritability values, in broad and narrow sense, were estimated in order to find out the proportion of genetic and additive factors in phenotypic expression of these traits. Study showed that the broad sense heritability for plant height ranged from 6.73% to 72.53%, while in the narrow sense it ranged from 4.76% to 95.44%. The broad and narrow sense heritability, for head diameter, varied from 0.15% to 52.58% and from 26.27% to 94.61%. Differences in heritability estimates are attributable to different genetic background of studied populations.

Keywords

• broad sense heritability
• genetic factors
• head diameter
• narrow sense heritability
• phenotypic expression
• plant height
• populations
• sunflower seeds