Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow 226 001.
Inheritance of morphine in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) Vr. NBRI-1 and NBRI-2 was studied by selfing in seven successive generations. The morphine content over years ranged from 7.14 to 29.98 percent. Progenies with high morphine content segregated strongly and produced progenies with lower content, while selection in middle order produced high and intermediate progenies. Selection response was also high in progenies selected from middle range. The results suggest that high morphine content resulted due to certain epistatic combinations.
Inheritance, morphine, Papaver somniferum, selection differential, selection response
