Heterosis on a complex of economically biological traits in sterile sunflower hybrids

A purpose of this work was to study an effect of heterosis in F1 progeny of new sunflower lines on a complex of economically biological traits. The trials were conducted in fields of the institute in Krasnodar region in 2012-2014. Two modern sterile maternal forms were pollinated under an insulater (so call “sleeve’) by each of ten lines-pollinators characterized with a high or middle combining ability on seed yield. The obtained 20 hybrids and their parental components were estimated on a complex of economically biological traits in 2013-2014. The positive true heterosis was observed in all 20 studied hybrids on seeds yield in 2013 and 2014. A quite different phenomenon was observed for a competitive heterosis. Thus, for example, a positive true heterosis was noted only for three hybrids, or 15%, in 2013 and for six hybrids, or 30%, in 2014. Here with it should be mentioned three hybrids having the positive true heterosis in 2013 showed it in 2014 too. On a trait ‘oil content’ of seeds we observed the positive true heterosis in nine hybrids, or 45%, in 2013 and in ten hybrids, or 50% of total amount, in 2014. On trait ‘oil yield’ 19 hybrids, or 95%, showed the positive true heterosis and one hybrid (or 5%) had the negative heterosis in 2013, and 18 hybrids, or 90% of total amount, showed the positive heterosis in 2014. A really high true heterosis can be noted almost for all hybrids both on seed yield and oil yield. Due to data for 2013, really high competitive heterosis on a trait ‘oil yield’ was marked for five hybrids, or 20%, in 2014 there were six such hybrids, or 30% of a total amount of samples studied during trials. At the same time, nine hybrids, or 45%, in 2013 and eight hybrids, or 40% of total amount, in 2014 showed the true negative competitive heterosis.