Evaluating Selection Methods for Carthamus Interspecific Crosses under Different Water Conditions

Abstract

Core Ideas Wild relatives of safflower are suitable source of genes for improvement of cultivated species.Single plant selection is simple and results in genetic gain in safflower interspecific hybridization under both water stress and non‐stress conditions.Indirect selection is more efficient than direct selection for tolerance to water limited conditions in safflower interspecific crosses. Wild relatives of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) are a potential source of favorable genes for its further improvement through interspecific crosses. Therefore, two wild safflower species (C. palaestinus and C. oxyacanthus) were crossed with the cultivated counterpart in 2011. Three interspecific population progenies including C. palaestinus × C. tinctorius (PT), C. tinctorius × C. oxyacanthus (TO), and C. oxyacanthus × C. palaestinus (OP) were developed. Three selection methods including single plant selection (SPS), modified selected bulk (MSB) and modified bulk (MB) were applied at F3 generation in 2013. Selected lines were evaluated in F4 and F5 generations under water stress and non‐stress conditions during 2014 and 2015. The SPS and MSB methods resulted in higher genetic gain compared to MB under both moisture conditions. Even though, SPS and MSB were equally efficient in selecting better genotypes. SPS was much easier, less laborious, faster and cost‐effective method than MSB. A high percentage of agreement was observed between visual selection and selection based on actual yield only for SPS method by evaluating 2920 single plants. Capitulum diameter (CD) was a good criterion for visual selection of superior genotypes in the field condition under both moisture environments. The PT and TO lines that were produced by SPS and MSB methods showed slightly higher values for most measured traits when compared to the lines which were produced by MB selection method. The SPS‐derived lines were slightly earlier on maturity compared to the lines resulted from other selection methods.

Combining ability and heterosis in a diallel cross of safflower under Brazilian tropical conditions

“…(2007) obtained a ratio of 0.50 for the number of capitulum in diallel crosses of carnations. The capitulum is an important component for safflower breeding and capitulum diameter is a criterion for visual selection of superior safflower genotypes (Shafiei‐Koij, Mirlohi, Majidi, Saeidi, & Eskini, 2019).…”