Five CMS lines were crossed with six testers and the resultant thirty hybrids along with their parents were evaluated in two environments to study the heterosis. The maximum heterosis over the better parent was 30.08% for oil content, 13.17% for palmitic acid, 8.94% for stearic acid, 77.43% for oleic acid and 278.01% for seed yield. The hybrid 207A x 108-3 showed heterosis, 10.23% for oil content and 12.77% for palmitic acid over better parent, while for stearic acid and oleic acid, the hybrid 300 A x 261-2 showed heterosis 6.23% and 65.63%, respectively. The hybrids involving either female parent 86 A3 or male 108-3 and 187–333 were found to be best heterotic combinations for most of the traits studied than other parents. None of the cross was found superior than better parent for linoleic acid, as oleic acid increases linoleic acid decreases. The correlation between oleic and linoleic acid was negative and highly significant.
Fatty acids, Heterosis, Oil content, Seed yield, Sunflower
