Fibre yiedl of mutants of white jute (Corchorus capsularis) with altered phenological development patterns

Abstract The standard cultivar, D-154, and one early-flowering and four late-flowering mutants derived from it were sown at a central location in Bangladesh on seven occasions at 15 or 16-day intervals in 1978 and 1979. The objective was to determine whether any mutant could provide a higher yield of well-matured fibre at an earlier date than D-154. Fibre yield and strength are maximal at the beginning of capsule development, and harvest should be completed by August 15, so that the yield of the following transplanted autumn rice crop is maximized. Two sowing times, March 17 and April 3, spanned the normal sowing time, two were earlier, and three were later. Records were made of the dates at which 50% of plants per sub-plot were flowering, and also at 90% flowering and 50% capsule formation. Plants were harvested at these three stages for all sowing-time/genotype combinations. Plant height, basal diameter of the stems and fibre yield were measured. Sowing time and genotype had major effects on the duration of the vegetative and flowering phases. D-154 reached the optimal harvest stage by August 15 only when sown about March 1. Three mutants, C-28, C-36 and ‘Atompat-38’, were at least 20% higher-yielding than D-154 at those dates of sowing and harvest, but the fibre of the mutants was somewhat less mature. One of these mutants, C-28, also yielded 17% more than D-154 when sown in mid-March, which is the beginning of the normal sowing time. The early-flowering mutant was low-yielding, but would be useful for late sowing. Further improvement of jute by mutation and conventional breeding is discussed.