TRAIT ASSOCIATION WITH RESPECT TO FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND AGRO-MORPHOLOGY IN SELECTED CULTIVARS AND WILD GENOTYPES OF BRASSICACEAE

Basic information on any crop like, available variability, divergence and character association help in efficient selection of desirable genotypes leading to crop improvement.The present experiment was undertaken to study character association in a set of 15 diverse genotypes of brassicaceae which included cultivars as well as wild allies.The genotypes belonged to two genera Brassica spp.and Diplotaxis spp., which are considered major oilseeds and vegetables.The present study revealed higher magnitude of genotypic correlations than phenotypic correlations in most of the cases indicating strong and inherent association between character pairs and a little environmental influence only.It may be inferred that larger plant parts lead to delayed flowering, maturity and less seed yield but better leaf yield.It was also found that lesser seeds per siliqua had offered better 1000 seed weight and higher oil content.Hence, if cultivating Brassica spp.and Diplotaxis spp. as oilseeds, smaller leaves and early flowering are to be selected at early crop stages for better economic return, on the other hand, if cultivated as leafy vehetables, taller plants with larger leaves and short main shoot are ideal traits for selection for these species during Rabi, in middle Gujarat condition.