Adaptability Testing of Promising Jumbo Peanut Breeding Lines in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Expanding peanut cultivation in Sri Lanka is becoming a timely need with the current socioeconomic situation in the country, as it can sustain the food, nutrition and improve the poor livelihoods. Improvement of new varieties of peanut with market demanded attributes such as seed size can further strengthen the profit of the industry. In the peanut breeding program in Sri Lanka, jumbo peanut variety development is being continued through conventional breeding techniques. Six promising breeding lines (ANKGL2019-1, ANKGL2019-2, ANKGL2019-3, ANKGL2019-5, ANKGL2019-6 and ANKGL2019-7) which were identified at previous yield trials were further tested for their yield performances at multi locations. The experiment was conducted according to a RCBD design at three research stations during 2019 Yala and at four research stations during 2019/20 Maha. The adaptability of the genotypes was assessed using a ranking method. All the tested lines scored significantly higher pod yield than the check variety, Lanka Jumbo. The best two lines, ANKGL2019-1 and ANKGL2019-2 were selected for further testing at farmer fields. Based on performance at farmer managed conditions and acceptance of farmers those lines can be considered for general cultivation.