Gene action for quality and quantitative characters in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

The present investigation had shown the genetic analysis of different agronomic characters as well as quality traits in linseed of six parents were evaluated in 2009-10, during rabi season at Students Instructional Farm, C. S. A. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, U.P., revealed the role of both additive and non-additive gene action for all ten characters through diallel cross analysis. Average degree of dominance showed the presence of partial dominance for all the characters except iodine value which showed over dominance. The proportions of positive and negative effects in the parents were asymmetrical for all the characters. The ratio of dominant and recessive alleles in parents (KD/KR), indicated the dominant alleles were more frequent than recessive alleles for the characters, number of capsules per plant, days to maturity and iodine value in F1 and days to flower in F2 generation. Characters, plant height, number of primary and secondary branches per plant, 1000-seed weight, seed yield per plant and oil content in both F1 and F2 generations showed that recessive alleles were more frequent determining the extents of genetic gain that can be made in particular direction. If the alleles present in the population are predominantly of recessive nature, the extent of genetic advance will be limited. The computed ratio of (ĥ2/Ĥ2) estimate the number of gene groups suggested the preponderance of recessive genes; however they do have dominant genes. ‘t2’ value for uniformly test for Wr, Vr interprets distribution of dominant and recessive genes among the parents by investigating the relations.