Evaluation of hybrid vigor in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crosses from s1 early lines with low oil content

Abstract

Sunflower is the fourth largest oilseed in the world due to its production. One objective for its genetic improvement is to identify and select higher lines to form early, high-performance, oil-containing hybrids. In this study, in order to test whether it is possible to achieve high-content progenies through early lines S1 with low oil content, S1 lines of the variety TECMON-2 were obtained, the low oil content lines were selected, and hybrids which were evaluated with two witnesses (DO-704 and TECMON-2) in random blocks with three repetitions were obtained. The heterosis recorded for up to 65% for this character in experimental hybrids resulted in hybrids with different levels of yield and oil content (similar and superior to the commercial witness), such as H-1 hybrid, which allowed to estimate a final oil production superior to all genotypes used in the study.