GRAIN AND OIL YIELD OF SINGLE-CROSS AND THREE-WAY CROSS OS SUNFLOWER HYBRIDS

Sunflower breeding program at the Agricultural Institute Osijek is aimed at creating hybrids with high genetic potential for grain and oil yield and with improved agronomical traits. Achieved grain and oil yields of 30 new (single-cross and three-way cross) OS hybrids in comparison with standard hybrids (Apolon and Šokac), during 2006 and 2007 at location Osijek (Croatia) are presented in this paper. The experiments were set up in randomized complete block design (RCBD) and analyzed traits were grain and oil yield. The highest grain yield (for both years of the research) was achieved with hybrids OS-H-271 S and OS-H-35 T (above 5 t ha-1), and oil yield with hybrids OS-H-35 T, OS-H-K3 T and OS-H-271 S (above 2 t ha-1). On the average, three-way cross hybrids achieved higher grain and oil yield compared to single-cross hybrids. Experimental hybrids achieved higher grain and oil yield compared to registered OS sunflower hybrids, indicating a genetic advance in domestic sunflower hybrids breeding