Water use Efficient Sunflower Hybrids having Diverse Cytoplasmic Background

Abstract A set of fifty two hybrids developed through line×tester breeding design were sown in randomized block design with three replications to evaluate their performance for seed yield under two environments (normal irrigation and water stress). Drought resistant indices and multivariate statistical analysis from the pooled data obtained from water stress and normal irrigated environments over the two years. Hybrid PRUN-29A × RCR-8297 (1.55) and 40A × P100R (1.55) had the largest stress tolerance index (STI) rate and hybrid ARG-2A × P69R the smallest rate (a high STI rate for the genotype represents its high drought resistance and its high yielding potential). Hybrid ARG-6A × P69R (2.41) had the largest extent (susceptible) of Stress susceptibility index (SSI), while hybrid E002-91 × RCR-8297 (0.13) had the least (resistant) extent a large extent of this index indicates the genotype susceptibility to drought. In terms of yield stability index (YSI), hybrid 40A × RCR-8297 (0.51) and ARG-6A × P69R (0.51) and hybrid ARG-2A × P69R (1.18) had the smallest and the largest rate respectively (genotypes with high YSI are expected to yield highly in stress conditions. Hybrid 40A × RCR-8297 (30.36) and PRUN-29A × P69R (−10.07) displayed the least and the most amount of tolerance index (TOL) index, a high amount of TOL is a sign of genotype susceptibility to stress. Hybrid PRUN-29A × P69R (1.53) displayed the least extent of yield index (YI), while hybrid ARG-6A × P69R (0.51) and 40A × RCR-8297 (0.51) displayed the highest extent.