Performance of Public and Private Sector Sunflower {Helianthus annuus L.) Hybrids for Drought Tolerant Traits under Different Water Regimes

摘要

The present study was conducted mainly to find out the hybrids which could perform well under water limited conditions by adopting drought tolerant traits for better yield. Initial screening was carried out with 17 public and private sunflower hybridsfor various drought tolerant parameters under different water regimes (100, 70 and 40 per cent). Root traits, viz., root length, root volume and root to shoot ratio were better in public hybrids compared to private hybrids contributing to drought tolerance by utilizing deeper levels of soil moisture. Among the public sunflower hybrids, KBSH-44 showed higher RWC (64.02 per cent), surface wax (45.81 per cent), root length (74 cm), root to shoot ratio (128 per cent) and maximum TDM (30.50 g) at severe moisture stress condition. Also, the hybrid K-618 exhibited biomass (28.50 g) with higher root to shoot ratio (68.3 per cent) compared to all other private sunflower hybrids. The drought-tolerant indices, DMSI and PHSI values of sunflower hybrids affected morpho-physiological, root traits and biochemical parameters in case of private sector (45.93 and 64.09 per cent) sunflower hybrids compared to public sector hybrids (47.33 and 70.10 per cent) under moderate and severe moisture stress.