DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH YIELDING TYPES OF BRASSICA NAPUS L. UNDER SALINITY STRESS

Six sensitive and ten salinity tolerant lines along with their resultant crosses obtained after crossing in Line x Tester mating design were evaluated at maturity stage in a pot experiment. Data were recorded on various seed yield (days to 50% flowering, days to 50% maturity, plant height, number of primary branches, number of silique per plant, seeds per silique, oil content, thousand seed weight, seed yield per plant) and salinity tolerance related traits (proline content, Na+/K+ ratio, osmotic potential). Data were recorded on yield and salinity tolerance related traits, were analyzed to assess the variability in germplasm under studies and general and specific combining ability effects. Results showed that breeding material being studied had genetic variability that can be used in development of high yielding salinity tolerant types of Brassica napus L. Combining ability analysis revealed that lines R-3 and 23627 and tester Faisal were best general combiners under control conditions and on exposure to higher levels of salinity also. Crosses R-3xLaclone, RBJ-8007xLaclone and ZMR-1xZMR-3 were observed to have positive significant specific combining ability effects for most of the traits under control and salinity stress conditions that can be further evaluated for growing under saline conditions. Proline content, Na+/K+ ratio and osmotic potential might be used as salinity tolerance indicators.