Evaluation of high ricinoleic acid castor germplasm accessions

Abstract

Twenty high ricinoleic acid accessions along with checks, GC3, GCH-7 and DCS-107 (only at rainfed locations) were evaluated for yield, phenology and agronomic performance at four locations viz., S. K. Nagar and Mandor under irrigated, and Palem and IIOR, Hyderabad under rainfed conditions. Yield data from Palem centre was not considered due to data recording errors. Performance of high ricinoleic acid type accessions was given in accessions under irrigated, rainfed and across locations was given in data Tables. RG-3477 recorded the highest mean seed yield (1748 g/net plot) with 13% increase over the best variety check, GC-3 (1541 g/net plot) across locations. It was followed by RG-3789 (1682 g/net plot) and RG-3741 (1642 g/net plot) with 9% and 7% increased seed yield, respectively over GC-3.Across the locations, RG-22 exhibited the shortest plant height (37 cm), lowest node number (10) and was the earliest to reach days to 50% flowering (46 days) and maturity (93 days) while the checks took 59-63 days to reach 50% flowering and 120-158 days to reach maturity. RG-3789 exhibited the longest effective length of primary spike (53 cm) and highest number of capsules on primary raceme (79) while the effective spike length in the best check, GCH-7 was 50 cm and the number of capsules was 53. RG-3795 recorded the highest 100-seed weight (38.2 g) followed by RG-3761 (36.4 g) whereas 100-seed weight had ranged from 26.7-31.7 g among the three checks.