Abstract
Seed mass variation in seed lots of nine sunflower cultivars viz. S-278, local, Hybrid 1, Hysun 33, Hysun 39, N K Armoni, Aussie gold 04, Aussie gold 61 and Aussie gold 62 is described. Within individual cultivars seed mass varied substantially from 1.91-folds in cultivar S-278 to 3.68-folds in Hybrid 1. The variation in terms of coefficient of variation was also the lowest in cultivar S-278 (13.91 %) followed by N K Armoni (15.99%). It was the highest (24.62 %) in cultivar ‘local’. In pooled sample, variation was 26.1% (heaviest / lightest seed ratio 3.96). Cultivars varied in mean seed mass which was 50.52 ± 1.05 mg in Hysun 39 to 81.79 ± 1.14 mg in S-278. Mean seed mass of N K Armoni was 74.82 ± 1.196 mg. In other varieties mean seed weight was between 51 and 58 mg. Mean seed mass of the pooled sample was 60.12 ± 0.523 mg. The distribution of mean seed mass around the grand mean was negatively skewed. The coefficient of variation among means was 17.74% i.e., the variation was 1.62-folds. The seed masses exhibited significantly positive skewness in four cultivars local, Hysun 39, Hybrid 1, and Aussie gold 62 and pooled sample. In cultivar NK Armoni, seed masse distribution was significantly negatively skewed. The distribution was characterized with significantly positive kurtosis (leptokurtosis) in cultivars local and Hybrid 1, insignificant leptokurtosis in Aussie gold 62 and Hysun 33 and insignificantly negative kurtosis (platykurtosis) in S-278, Hysun 39, NK Armoni, Aussie gold 61, Aussie gold 04 and the pooled sample of seeds. The normality of distribution was tested with Shapiro-Wilks test. The distribution of individual seed mass was found to be normal in six cultivars viz. S-278, local, Hysun 39, Hysun 33, Aussie gold 61 and Aussie gold 04 and Non-normal in NK Armoni, Hybrid 1, Aussie gold 61 and the pooled sample of all cultivars. Hierarchical clustering, on the basis of seed mass, discretely classified varieties into two groups. Cultivars S-278 and N K Armoni were heavier seed cultivars and cultivars local, Hybrid 1, Hysun 33, Hysun 39, Aussie gold 04, Aussie gold 61 and Aussie gold 62 were substantially lighter seed varieties.
