Morphological Characterization of Brown Sarson (Brassica Rapa L. ) Genotypes for Dus Traits

Abstract

Rapeseed and mustard , the two important oleriferous Brassicae grown in India play a magnanimous role in the national market of edible oils and meals. But the production of the crop is low due to a narrow genetic base. Much effort has been put to diversifying the oilseed breeding. The morphological characterization is the first step towards diversity analysis and conservation of plant genetic resources. A major challenge facing those involved in the testing of new plant varieties for Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) is the need to compare them against all those of ‘common knowledge. Protection of Plant varieties and Farmer’s Right Act insists on Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) characterization of new varieties and recommends the registration of varieties for any one specific novel character. On this backdrop, the present experiment was carried out to evaluate 54 Brassica rapa L. genotypes for DUS characterization under randomized complete block design ( RCBD) with three replication at the experimental farm of GPB, FoA SKUAST-K, Wadura during rabi 2019-2020. The results of the study revealed wide variation in various traits among different Brassica rapa genotypes L. The assessment of 54 genotypes for 09 traits revealed that all the traits were informative with respect to trait expression cum characterization. The different characters studied were having great impact for selection of superior genotypes for further breeding programmes. Hence, the diversity observed among the genotypes could be utilized for cultivar improvement and germplasm conservation programs aimed at improving productivity in Brassica rapaL