INHERITANCE OF EARLINESS AND PLANT HEIGHT IN A SIX-PARENT DIALLEL CROSS OF CORCHORUS OLITORIUS

Abstract

Inheritance of earliness and plant height was studied in a six-parent diallel cross of jute, Corchorus olitorius L. The variety O-6E exhibited an excess of dominant genes, whereas the varieties R-26 and Chinese olitorius showed an excess of recessive genes for the character of earliness. On the other hand the variety Desimasua exhibited an excess of recessive genes and the varieties wild jute and O-5 showed a small excess of dominant genes for the character of plant height. On an overall basis, earliness and plant height were found to be controlled by both dominant and recessive genes, the contribution of the former being greater in earliness, and that of the latter being greater in plant height. Eleven dominant factors were detected to condition plant height, whereas only one dominant factor was involved in controlling earliness. Transgressive segregation for earliness was indicated in arrays with R-26 and Chinese olitorius as recurrent parents. Heritability was calculated to be 61% and 29% respectively for earliness and plant height.