CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF ONE AND TWO-HARVEST
OF OATS
R. N. ARORA*
Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding
CCS Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : arora15@rediffmail.com)
(Received : 14 December 2013; Accepted : 27 December 2013)
SUMMARY
One hundred and eight germplasm accessions of oats randomly sampled from the five hundred germplasm accessions being conserved at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. These were characterized and evaluated under one harvest and two harvest systems separately, for various morphological traits against two checks, namely, OS 6 and HJ 8 during rabi 2005-06. Wide range of genetic variability was recorded for green fodder yield/m row (650-1850 g) and for dry matter yield/m row (60-180 g), respectively, in one harvest. Six germplasm accessions, namely, HFO 314 (1850 and 180 g), HFO 239 (1800 and 160 g), HFO 46 (1800 and 150 g), HFO 273 (1700 and 150 g), HFO 291 (1600 and 160 g) and HFO 684 (1600 and 150 g) were found significantly higher in green fodder yield and dry matter yield as compared to the best check HJ 8 (1577 and 142 g), respectively, whereas under two harvest system, wide range in variability (70-275 g, 600-1800 g, 720-1960 g) was observed for GFY at 1st harvest, 2nd harvest and total of two harvests, respectively. Likewise, for DMY, wide range in variability was observed (30-85 g, 50-170 g, 85-220 g) in 1st cut, 2nd cut and total of two cuts, respectively. On the basis of total of the 1st and 2nd harvest, only three germplasm accessions, namely, HFO 338 (1960 g), HFO 635 (1865 g), and HFO 45 (1800 g) were found significantly better in GFY than the best check HJ 8 (1763 g), while only one accession, namely, HFO 338 (220 g) was found significantly better in DMY than the best check HJ 8 (196 g). It was interesting to note that all the three
germplasm lines, namely, HFO 338 (117 days), HFO 635 (115 days) and HFO 45 (111days) which gave significantly higher GFY on total basis were also significantly early in 50 per cent flowering than the best high fodder yielding cultivar HJ 8 (119 days). The characterization of germplasm revealed that seven accessions had erect growth habit, 67 were semi-erect type and 36 were semi-prostrate type. Based on foliage colour, the germplasm was categorized into three classes, namely, light green (23 accessions), green (82 accessions) and dark green (5 accessions). Likewise, according to plant stature, the germplasm could be categorized into three classes, namely, dwarf (6 accessions), semi-dwarf (72 accessions) and tall type (32 accessions). According to market value of the oat crop, the germplasm was categorized into three classes i.e. grain type (48 accessions), dual type (38 accessions) and fodder type (24 accessions). On the basis of panicle shape, all the 110 accessions were categorized into two classes having equilateral panicle shape (61accessions), and non-equilateral or flag type panicle shape (49 accessions). Presence of awn was recorded in 70 accessions, while in 40 accessions it was absent.
Key words: Oat, germplasm, characterization and evaluation