Identification of Transgressive Segregants for Yield and Its Components in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate gene effects and identification of transgressive segregants for five quantitative traits of seven crosses of Ocimum basilicum L. viz. EC388788 × IC333322, EC387893 × IC326711, EC388896 × IC369247, EC388887 × IC386833, EC387837 × EC338785, IC369247 × IC370846 and IC344681 × IC326735 by generation mean analysis. In cases both type of epistasis (complementary and duplicate) model was sufficient to explain variation in generation means. Generation mean analysis with three parameter model with χ2 test indicated that additive-dominance model was inadequate for all the traits like number of inflorescence, length of inflorescence, fresh herb yield, dry herb yield and oil content in all the crosses used of six parameter models to estimate the gene effects. The observed frequencies of transgressive segregants for trait oil content (4.942), fresh herb yield (11.824), dry herb yield (13.97) and length of inflorescence (5.820). A comparison of generation mean analysis for observed and predicted frequencies of transgressive segregants indicated that the potential crosses for transgressive segregants were those that had additive and dominance gene effects. The adequacies of certain models of inheritance as well as the importance and significance of gene effects and identifications of transgressive segregants for analyzed traits were dependent upon the particular crossing combination and experimental site. The present study indicated that early generation selection is effective and should be practiced for future breeding programme.