SELECTION FOR HEAVIER SEED IN SUNFLOWER BY HONEYCOMB 1- FIELD TRAITS

Abstract

The local non-oil (Helianthus annuus L.) cv. Shumoos was used to study the effect of selection by honey comb method on the weight and size of sunflower seeds. The seeds were grown in the spring of 2011 by honey comb method with space 1.3 m between furrows and 1.5m between plants. Selection of larger capitulum, larger seed, and heavier seed were approved to increase the percentage of large seeds in the population. Superior plants, in properties, have been selected and self-pollinated. Then, seeds were planted and left panmixia. The resulting seeds were planted along with original seeds evaluation in a plant density of 40000, 50000, and 60000 plant.ha-1.The results rerealed that the selected genotypes 1 and 2 had a superiority in many properties such as the mean of days from planting to 95% flowering, for genotype2 was 108.1 days while for genotype1 was 105.3 days compared with the original which was 100.1 days. Also, the selection affected on height mean of plant, the genotype2 had the highest mean (258.5 cm) compared with the original (214.4), the mean of leaf area; the genotype2 gave higher mean (0.99 m2. Plant -1) compared with the original (0.72 m2. Plant -1), the capitulum of selected genotype2 (967.1 cm2) compared with the original (627.2 cm2), total dry weight; genotype2 was (1331g) compared with the original (811g), and mean of days number from planting to 95% physiological growth which led to increase the mean of seed fill duration; both selected genotypes 1 and 2 showed a superiority in seed filling duration, 24.1 and 24 days, respectively, compared with the original (19.7 days). Also, the selection affected seed weight; 131 and 141mg for selected genotype 1 and 2, respectively, compared with the original (116mg) that chaired to increase yield. Characteristics differed in values due to plant density increased, leaf area index and the mean of total dry weight per square meter increased by increasing plant density. The high plant density increased the mean of plant height, but there was no effects of plant density on seed filling duration, results caused by additive gene action in honey comb which increased the ratio of large seeds in both selected genotypes. It was recommended to use honey comb selection to improve both weight and size of seeds by increasing frequency of their plant in the population.