Performance, correlation and path coefficient analysis for sixteen lines of safflower under different environmental locations

Abstract EN

This study was conducted at the three different locations: Shalakan, Kalubia Governorate; Maryout, Alexandria Governorate; and Ras Sudr South Sinai Governorate, during the two successive growing seasons 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 to study the performance of 16 genotypes of safflower and the correlation coefficient between every pair of the studied traits and path coefficient analysis.

Results illustrated that differences among genotypes are highly significant within each season and over the two seasons (combined analysis) under the three locations for all studied traits.

The lines; 3, 7 and 15 exhibited the best performance in both growing seasons and their combined data under the three locations for seed yield and most yield components.

Thus, these lines could be used in breeding programs for improving safflower seed yield over a wide range of environments.

Seed yield /plant was positively and significantly correlated with each of number of branches /plant, number of capitula / plant, number of seeds / capitula and 1000 - seed weight at the three locations and seed oil content at the two locations; Maryout and Shalakan, indicating that the breeder can utilize such correlated response to obtain high seed yielding genotypes through selection for one or more of these traits.

Results of path coefficient analysis showed that number of branches /plant and number of seeds/ capitula at different locations proved to be the major seed yield contributors.

Thus the breeders should take into consideration these traits as selection criteria for safflower yield improvement under these target locations especially both traits are positively and significantly correlated with seed yield/plant