Evaluation of nature and magnitude of heterosis in ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal] for root quality and yield parameters
Abstract
Ashwagandha is one of the important medicinal plant commercially cultivated for long period. The investigation was performed in Randomized Complete Block Design for seventeen traits of seven parental lines which were crossed and some reciprocal cross also made for the estimation of root yield and quality during Rabi 2018-19 were studied to assess the magnitude of heterosis in ashwagandha. The result obtained were the cross CGWS.92xCGWS.90, CGWS.92xCGWS.93, CGWS.93xCGWS.89 and CGWS.93xCGWS.92 recorded negative heterosis over better parent for days to 50% flowering, which indicates that scope for its utilization in evolving early flowering plant types. Significant and positive heterosis was found in the cross viz., CGWS.89xCGWS.90, CGWS.89xCGWS.92, CGWS.93xCGWS.89, CGWS.94xCGWS.91 over better parent, and standard checks JA-20 and JA-134 for plant height. For no. of main branches/plant the significant positive heterosis was recorded in cross CGWS.89xCGWS.90, CGWS.90xCGWS.92, CGWS.90xCGWS.93, CGWS.91xCGWS.90 over better parent, standard checks JA-20, JA-134 and RVA-100. Similarly, for no. of secondary branches/plants was recorded in cross CGWS.91xCGWS.89, CGWS.94xCGWS.91, CGWS.95xCGWS.91 over better parent, standard checks JA-20, JA-134 and RVA-100. The cross CGWS.90xCGWS.93, CGWS.91xCGWS.90, CGWS.93xCGWS.92 was found significant and positive heterosis for no. of plant/plot over better parent, standard checks JA-20 and RVA-100. For root length significant and positive heterosis over better parent, standard checks JA-134 was recorded in cross CGWS.92xCGWS.90, CGWS.93xCGWS.91. Significant and positive heterosis recorded in cross CGWS.89xCGWS.91, CGWS.89xCGWS.92, CGWS.89xCGWS.93, CGWS.90xCGWS.92, CGWS.91xCGWS.89, CGWS.91xCGWS.92, CGWS.92xCGWS.89, CGWS.92xCGWS.93, CGWS.93xCGWS.89, CGWS.93xCGWS.92, CGWS.94xCGWS.90, CGWS.95xCGWS.92 over better parent, standard checks RVA-100 for fresh root weight/plant. For dry root weight/plant the significant and positive heterosis were recorded in cross CGWS.89xCGWS.90, CGWS.89xCGWS.91, CGWS.92xCGWS.90, CGWS.92xCGWS.93 over better parent, standard checks JA-20 and RVA-100. The low fiber content in root (%) of ashwagandha is preferred, significant and negative heterosis reported in the cross viz., CGWS.90xCGWS.92, CGWS.91xCGWS.90, CGWS.94xCGWS.91 over better parent and standard checks (JA-20) for fiber content in root (%). The best cross out of 20 crosses, two heterotic F1 with high fresh root weight per plant, high carbohydrate content (%), high protein content (%) and low fiber content in root (%), were found in cross CGWS.90 x CGWS.92 and CGWS.94 X CGWS.91 over standard check. These high root weight, carbohydrate content, protein content and low fiber content in F1 hybrid may be recommended for commercial exploitation.
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Introduction
Ashwgandha is one of the most important medicinal herbs and have a recognized medicinal properties for crude drugs and extracts. Ashwagandha belongs to family of "solanaceae" and botanically known as Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. It is a cross pollinated crop having the chromosome number 2n=48 (Nigam and Kandalkar 1995) [6] . It is originated from northwestern and central India as well as Mediterranean region of Africa (Kumar et al., 2020) [4] . In view of extremely rich biodiversity in the state, the government has declared Chhattisgarh as "Herbal state" on July 2001. It is known as "Indian Ginseng or "winter cherry" or "poison gooseberry". Ashwagandha is a "royal herb" because of its numerous rejuvenative effects on the human body possesses antioxidant, anxiolytic, adaptatgen, memory enhancing, antiparkinsonian, antivenom, antiinflammatory properties (Gupta and Rana 2007) [3] .
Materials and Methods
The experimental materials consists of seven parental lines of ashwagandha viz., CGWS-89 (P 1 ), CGWS-90 (P 2 ), CGWS-91 (P 3 ), CGWS-92 (P 4 ), CGWS-93 (P 5 ), CGWS-94 (P 6 ), and CGWS-95 (P 7 ). Three checks JA-20, JA-134, RVA-100 collected from different states of India were considered for the study. This parental line were crossed in all possible combinations including reciprocal cross during Rabi 2017-18. Successfully 20 crosses will be obtained. The crossed seed will be carefully sown along with parents during Rabi 2018-19 for estimation of root yield and quality at research cum instructional farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.). Emasculation of bud at pre-anthesis stage was done without damaging pistil. The other flower closed to emasculate bud will be removed and after pollination flower will be immediately covered with cotton and labelled with date and cross combination. All crosses and parents will be treated with 1% bavistin and will be sowing in RBD design with two replication. Recommended practices will be followed to fetch good harvest. Randomly five plants were selected from each treatment for recording data for following traits; days to flowering, plant height (cm), no. of main branches/plant, no. of secondary branches/plant, no. of plant/plot, fresh plant weight/plant (g), dry plant weight/plant (g), main root length (cm), root diameter (cm), root branches/plant, fresh root weight/plant (g), dry root weight/plant (g), fibre content in root (%), carbohydrate content in root (%), protein content in root (%), harvest index (%) and dry matter content (%). Shull (1914) coined the word "heterosis," which refers to F 1 's superiority over homozygous parents involved in its creation as well as the developmental stimulation arising from the union of various gametes. Hybrid vigour, on the other hand, is the product of heterosis. Heterosis can be classified into three groups based on performance of hybrids in comparison to individuals. These are: i) Relative heterosis: It is increased or decreased hybrid vigour over the mid parental value. ii) Heterobeltiosis: It is superiority of heterozygote with regard to the better parent (Fonseca and Patterson, 1968) [2] . iii) Standard heterosis: Also known as useful heterosis.
Statistical analysis
Term was used by Meredith and Bridge (1972) [5] . It is increased or decreased vigour of the hybrid over check variety.
Result and Discussion
There were significant differences were recorded among the parental lines with respect to different characters investigated including root quality and yield contributing traits. The mean performance of parental line and crosses presented in Table 1. And the mid parent, better parent, and standard heterosis, as well as the heterosis results shows in Table 2.
Days to 50% flowering: Among the parental line, the days to flowering ranged from CGWS.91 (100) to CGWS.90, CGWS.92, CGWS.93, CGWS.95 (103) and in cross combination it ranges from CGWS.93xCGWS.89 (101) to CGWS.90xCGWS.92, CGWS.91xCGWS.92, CGWS.94xCGWS.90 (105). Heterosis in both negative and positive direction for days to flowering has also been reported by Peng and Virmani (1991) [8] . Heterobeltiosis ranged from -0.98% (CGWS.93xCGWS.89) to 5.00% (CGWS.91xCGWS.92), significant negative heterosis showed by 4 hybrids. Root diameter (cm): Among the parental line, the trait ranges between CGWS.92 (1.717) to CGWS.91 (2.750). In cross combination it ranges between CGWS.94xCGWS.91 (0.500) to CGWS.94xCGWS.90 (2.100). Better parent heterosis for root diameter comes between -81.83% (CGWS.94xCGWS.91) to 0.88% (CGWS.93xCGWS.92), significant positive heterosis for this trait found by 1 hybrid. Standard heterosis over JA-20 ranges from -77.27% (CGWS.94xCGWS.91) to -4.55% (CGWS.94xCGWS.90), significant negative heterosis for the root diameter were found in 16 hybrids. Standard heterosis over JA-134 ranges from -76.74% (CGWS.94xCGWS.91) to -2.33% (CGWS.94xCGWS.90), 17 hybrids shows the negative heterosis and significant. Standard heterosis over RVA-100 comes between -78.57% (CGWS.94xCGWS.91) to -9.99% (CGWS.94xCGWS.90) significant negative heterosis for this trait found in 14 hybrids.
Root branches/plant: Among the parental line, the trait ranges between CGWS.95 (4.667) to CGWS.90 (8.335) Fresh root weight/plant (g): Among the parental line, the trait ranges between CGWS.94 (6.933) to CGWS.91 (13.867). In cross combination the fresh root weight was observed between CGWS.93xCGWS.91 (9.780) to CGWS.94xCGWS. 90 (16.720)
References
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