Genetic Variability, Character Association and Heterosis Studies in Intraspecific F1 Hybrids and Open-Pollinated Progenies of Moringa oleifera for Seed Germination, Seedling Growth and Nutritional Characteristics

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess intraspecific F₁ hybrids along with the open-pollinated progenies of Moringa oleifera for seed germination, seedling growth and nutritional characteristics Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during 2021-22. Significant variations were notices among hybrids and open pollinated progenies for the studied parameters. First and last germination traits were found highly influenced with the environment and others are highly heritable traits for which we can select the hybrids for further evaluation. Majority of nursery and seedling traits had positive significant, and nutritional and physiological traits had negative significant. However, some have negative significant correlation with total carotenoids. Two out of twenty two components showed Eigen value greater than unity and elucidated a significant amount of variation i.e., ~100 % of the total variation existed among the hybrids and progenies. Only two hybrid progenies, i.e. H₁ and H₂ had the maximum heterosis for majority of traits. Hybrid H₁ exhibited maximum magnitude of heterosis for seedling height, leaf width, and chlorophyll content, carbohydrates, crude protein and crude fibre. Hybrid H₂ exhibited maximum magnitude of heterosis for seedling height, collar diameter, chlorophyll content, crude protein, crude fibre and crude fat. Thus, only two hybrid progenies of crosses H₁ and H₂ showed higher economic heterosis for a majority of traits.