Screening Selected Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Genotypes for Yield Performance in Sindh, Pakistan

The present study was carried out during the year 2013-14 on the screening of the selected linseed genotypes for yield performance in Sindh, Pakistan. The experiment was laid out at the experimental fields of Oilseeds Section, Agriculture Research Institute, Tandojam in a three replicated randomized complete block design. Twelve linseed genotypes (L-53, C-W-2, Shikarpur 2, P-16-4, L-8, 11-106, Hala 3, L-17, Santane, Summit, L-10 and check llsi 90) were screened for their agronomic performance and correlations amongst yield and its contributing traits were calculated. The analysis of variance suggested significant (P < 0.05) variation among linseed genotypes for all the traits studied in this experiment. Most of the genotypes attained flowering and maturity earlier than the check variety;while P-16-4 surpassed Ilsi-90 for primary branches;and most of the remaining genotypes were at par with the commercial check for primary branches. Genotype L-10 surpassed the commercial check for capsules plant-1 and L-8 was at par with the commercial check;while none of the genotypes could surpass commercial check variety for seed index, but 11-106, Hala-3 and Summit also showed promising performance regarding the seed index. All the genotypes tested in this experiment such as L-53, C-W-2, Shikarpur 2, P-16-4, L-8, 11-106, Hala 3, L-17, Santane, Summit, L-10 surpassed the commercial check variety Ilsi-90 for seed yield plot-1. The correlation coefficient for yield and its contributing traits of linseed genotypes showed a positive and significant (P < 0.05) association for primary branches plant-1 vs seed yield plant-1 (r = 0.3334*), days to maturity vs spike length (r = 0.5384**), days to 75% flowering vs days to 90% maturity (r = 0.4073**), days to 75% flowering vs seed index (r = 0.4291**), days to 90% maturity vs seed index (r = 0.3973**) and seed index v/s seed yield plot-1 (r = 0.5160**). Negative and significant (P < 0.05) association was observed for primary branches plant-1 vs days to maturity (r = -0.368*), capsules plant-1 vs days to maturity (r = -0.3567*), days to 90% maturity vs seed yield plant-1 (r = -0.4156**) and days to 90% maturity vs seed yield plot-1 (r = -0.3423*). The new genotypes possess the potential to become future varieties for general cultivation in Sindh province.