Inheritance of branching and important biometrical traits in sesame (Sesamum indicum L)

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), is an important source of edible oil and is also widely used as a spice because of its ease of extraction and its great stability. India ranks second in production of sesame (7.3 lakh tons) next to China, with an area of 2.18 m. ha and productivity of 335 kg per ha [1]. Though the progress achieved is quite high in terms of area and production, the productivity is the lowest when compared to the world average. There is an inherent lacuna in sesame, as there will be yield loss due to poor population. The branched varieties need more space per plant and hence maintenance of population is very difficult in the commercial planting. This also poses serious problem in the countries where mechanical harvesting is restored. To overcome this situation, identification of mono stem or shy branching type of sesame suited to high - density planting is an important strategy, which will benefit the farming community by increased net return. The basic requirement in adopting a suitable breeding method is a sound understanding of the genetic behavior. Therefore, success in development of genotypes with desired characters depend on the knowledge of genetic makeup of the characters and their behavior in different genetic backgrounds. Hence, the present study was aimed at to study the inheritance and nature of gene action underlying the inheritance of branching and other biometric traits.