An assessment of induced variability in M2 progenies of coriander

Abstract

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is one of the important seed spice crops of India (Purthi, 1976) with large domestic consumption and a bright export potential. Rajasthan state has 1,37,670 ha area under the crop, with the production of 1,44,951 t (Anonymous, 1995-96), thus constituting 40-50% of the total area, as well as production of the country. The dry climate , of the state, particularly during crop maturity, promotes the quality of produce. However, the crop suffers from low productivity (5-6 q ha·l) on account of the lack of high yielding varieties, high incidence of diseases and pests, and poor adoption of improved package of practices (Sharma, 1994). Studies on the germplasm collection revealed that a genetic variability in respect of yield and yield attributes is limited, restricting the progress of crop improvement. Controlled hybridization to exploit limited variability is difficult due to small flower size.