GENETIC ANALYSIS OF YIELD COMPONENTS AND CURD COLOR OF MIDSEASON HEAT TOLERANT INDIAN CAULIFLOWER (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis L.).

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) is one of the most popular and widely grown vegetable crops in India. Yield and white color of curd are most important characters of cauliflower determining the economics of cultivation of the crop. Six generation of cauliflower (P1, P2, F1, F2, B1 and B2) were raised by crossing 2 popular varieties and 2 lines (Pusa Himjyoti x BR-161, Pusa Himjyoti x BR-207, Pusa Sharad x BR-161, Pusa Sharad x BR-207, BR-161 x BR-207 and Pusa Himjyoti x Pusa Sharad). Over-dominance had predominant role for marketable curd weight, curd diameter and curd depth. In marketable curd weight, the presence of dominance (h) and dominance x dominance (l) component of genetic variation along with duplicate type of epistasis were present. Curd color was determined by single gene with white being recessive. So, the genetics of characters studied will provide information in the improvement of yield and quality parameters of cauliflower. Besides these, the developed elite hybrids or breeding lines may be tested for yield and quality traits under different agro-climatic conditions for commercial exploitation of hybrid vigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]