The present investigation, aimed at sunflower population improvement through cyclic selection, was initiated at Directorate of Oilseeds Research (DOR), Hyderabad, India. The base population (C3), which consisted of 20,000 plants for the third cycle, was raised during summer 2001 and 2,000 phenotypically superior plants were selfed. Based on self-fertility, best 200 plants were selected for progeny test during kharif 2001 and evaluated against two checks (Morden and KBSH-1). In the C3 base population, wide range of variability was exhibited for plant height, days to maturity, head diameter, number of filled seeds, seed yield, number of unfilled seeds and oil content. Positive selection differential was observed for plant height, head diameter, seed yield and oil yield, whereas days to maturity and oil content showed negative values. PCV and GCV revealed high values for seed yield, oil yield and moderate values for plant height, head diameter, 100-seed weight and oil content. Heritability values were high for seed yield, 100-seed weight, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, head diameter and oil yield. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for head diameter and oil yield. The elite genotypes with high seed yield, number of filled seeds and oil content were selected for intermating to generate next base population for cyclic selection. Superior genotypes may serve to develop inbreds for use in heterosis breeding.
