Performance of back cross derived progenies of Avena sativa x Avena sterilis for forage yield and related traits

Abstract

Avena sterilis L. (2n = 6x = 42), a wild progenitor of cultivated oats, is an important source of many useful traits like crown rust resistance, high biomass production potential, higher protein content and high growth rate [1-3]. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of A. sterilis germplasm in increasing forage production and related traits when introgressed into background of cultivated A. sativa (2n = 6x = 42). The oat collection EC 131306 (A. sterilis L.) possessed good forage production potential in addition to its high vegetative gro\'vth index. However, this wild collection does combine certain undesirable traits such as coarse and hairy leaves, hairy, light weighted seeds, very low seed yield and high seed shattering character. The strain EC 131306 was crossed to A. sativa JHO-851. The maternal parent JHO-851 is a recent released variety for all India cultivation and possesses high yield, regeneration capability associated with good palatability, high nutritional quality. The F1 hybrid was backcrossed for three years with the recurrent parent A. sativa, as in our earlier hybridization programme, the backcrossing for two years have resulted in stable progenies [2, 4]. After third back crossing, progenies were selfed for three generations. Selected progenies (after visual selections in each selfing generation) were evaluated only for agronomic traits in BC3F4 generation.