Enhancing food security in arid areas of Pakistan through newly developed drought tolerant and short duration mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Canola
2018
Food security is the crucial global issue, especially in developing countries
like Pakistan. Since edible oil is an essential food item, its persistent
paucity in the country and huge import for meeting domestic requirements,
has attained it second largest import item after petroleum products. The aim
of present study is qualitative and quantitative evaluation of newly
developed short duration and drought tolerant canola quality Brassica juncea
lines ZBJ-06012 and ZBJ-08051 to overcome the unfavorable edible oil
situation in the country. Thirteen lines were evaluated in randomized
complete block design (RCBD) for seed yield, oil quality, maturity period
and drought tolerance under different agro-climatic zones both in irrigated
and arid areas across the Punjab province at eight locations in Micro Yield
Trials during Rabi season 2012-13 and 2013-14. Presently, grown non-canola
mustard varieties Khanpur Raya and Anmol Raya were used as check varieties.
Brassica napus cultivars Punjab canola and Faisal canola were also included
in the trials for comparison study of mustard and rapeseed genotypes. Data
for all traits under observation was analyzed through Principle Component
Analysis (PCA) to evaluate the best performing lines in irrigated as well as
in rain fed areas. Principal Component Analysis showed first 2 PCs having
Eigen value >1 explaining 76.4% and 72% of the total variation at irrigated
areas and rain fed areas respectively. The mean seed yield was also compared
by Least Significant Difference (LSD) test to study the significance at 5%
probability level. Canola quality B. juncea lines ZBJ-06012 and ZBJ-08051
have shown good adaptability, early maturity, non-shattering, disease and
drought tolerance traits with high yield potential in comparison with
presently grown Brassica napus cultivars “Punjab Canola” and “Faisal
Canola”. Due to these prominent features, these lines have a great scope for
motivating farmers to grow canola quality B. juncea when compared with B.
napus and non-canola B. juncea. Future challenges demand further development
of high yielding, short duration and aphid tolerant mustard cultivars having
high oil content and canola quality. There is a great potential of
exploiting genetic variability in the existing B. juncea material to achieve
the aforesaid goals by using conventional plant breeding techniques.
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