A study on the heterosis in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L)

An experiment was conducted at Cashew Research Station, All India Coordinated Research Project on Cashew under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha to study the extent of heterosis exhibited by five F₁ progenies of 4 years old cashew. The experiment was laid out during 2014 following statistical design RBD replicated twice. Heterosis for different parameters was studied for the fruiting season 2016–17. The magnitude of heterosis for nut yield/tree, nut weight and shelling percentage in terms of relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis recorded variations among the genotypes. Relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for nut yield ranged from 37.41 (BH-27) to 157.86 (BH-26) per cent, 33.33 (BH-19) to 47.48 (BH-26) per cent and 1.42 (BH-105) to 46.42 (BH-26) per cent respectively. Among the five tested genotypes, BH-26 recorded maximum extent of relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for nut yield. For nut weight, four genotypes viz BH-27 (9.24%), BH-19 (5.45%), BH-26 (17.72%) and BH-105 (11.71%) showed relative heterosis while only two hybrids (BH-19 and BH-26) exhibited heterosis over the standard variety with a range of 1.79 to 8.89 per cent. Relative heterosis for shelling ranged from 5.16 (BH-105) to 15.99 (BH-30) per cent. Genotypes BH-27 (1.83%), BH-30 (3.57%), BH-19 (10.18%) and BH-105 (5.16%) exhibited heterosis over their respective better parents for shelling percentage. However all the five varieties recorded heterosis over the standard variety with values ranging from 3.88 (BH-26) to 11.49 (BH-30) per cent. It may be concluded that the genotypes which showed heterosis for the studied characters can be utilised in hybridisation programme for cashew crop improvement. The hybrid BH-26 may be recommended for commercial cultivation in the state of Odisha because of yield advantage over the standard check.