Morphological Variability Assessment of Worldwide Germplasm of Pharmaceutically Important Plant Nigella Sativa L.

Abstract

N. sativa is an important industrial crop globally but neglected crop in Pakistan, hence imported. It has been used for revitalizing body system in almost all ancient civilizations. In the present investigation worldwide accessions of N. sativa were cultivated for three years to select the most diverse accessions for cultivation and future breeding purpose in Pakistan. More diverse and acclimatized accessions with enhanced morphological traits were observed. Seed length, seed width, plant height, number of flowers and number of follicles showed maximum considerable variation in three years. Morphological variations observed and collected for all three years were not consistent among all accessions, due to some environmental fluctuations while some of the accessions like ACC 20662, ACC W626529, ACC 20878, ACC 21545, ACC 21428and ACC 20990 showed consistency at some extent among results of different morphological markers (number of flowers, number of stamens, number of follicles, follicle length, follicle width and seed per follicle). 50% accessions germinated in 26-35 days consecutively three years and showed optimum growth. The maximum height was noticed as 108cm in two accessions ACC 20878 and ACC 20780. The maximum frequency of flower initiation days was noted 101-110 days. The maximum frequency distribution for number of branches was noted in frequency class 11-15 during all three years. The maximum frequency of flower initiation days was noted 101-110 days for 2015-16 and 2017-18. The data recorded in 2017-18 depicted the maximum number of flowers as 15 (ACC 20780 and ACC 20878). The rate of follicle production per plant was 10 among accessions (ACC W626529, ACC 20545 and ACC 21295). The largest frequency class for stamens number was 21-25 stamens, whereas the plants with frequency class 31-35 stamens were least frequent. The flower color varied in the recombinant plants (RC) as Purple White whereas in the parents it was White (Jordan) and Bluish white (Ukraine).  In general the accessions belonging to Gujranwala, Jordan, Lahore, Haripur, Attock and Sargodha were found morphologically more significant and diverse.