Genetic variability and inter-relationship of some quantitative characters in safflower

Abstract

SUMMARYEighteen varieties of safflower were studied in a randomized block design with five replications. Data on fourteen quantitative characters were recorded. Appreciable variability was displayed by all characters, especially yield and number of heads/plant. The heritability estimates ranged between 65 and 98%.Seed (achene) yield gave a significant positive genotypic correlation with number of seeds/head, head width, bract width and oil content. The 100-seed weight was significantly negatively correlated with the number of seeds/head and plant height at maturity. The genotypic correlations between yield/plant and four other traits were partitioned into direct and indirect effects. The highest direct positive contribution to yield was given by plant height, which had also a positive indirect effect via number of heads. The direct effect of the number of heads/plant was negative and the indirect effect via head width was positive.