Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.1999.88.94Brassica juncea L.) in Pakistan]]>M.A.Rabbani IwabuchiA. MurakamiY. SuzukiT. TakayanagiK. 1199921In order to assess the potential of oilseed mustard in the breeding programs, 52 accessions were grown in the field and characterized for different morphological characteristics. The germplasm was collected from Punjab and N. W. F. Province of Pakistan in 1994 and evaluated for morpho-physiological traits under field conditions at Tsukuba. Japan during 1995 and 1996. Thirty-five phenotypic traits were recorded for all accessions from seedling emergence till crop harvest. A considerable level of genetic variation was observed among all tested accessions for various traits. However, most of the germplasm collections from Pakistan shared similar morphology with one another when compared with the leafy vegetable cultivars from Japan. Seedling characteristics showed less variation, while the largest variation was found for flowering and maturity stage characters. Generally, low correlation was observed among different traits, however, some of the related characters were significantly correlated with each other. The results indicated that oilseed mustard in Pakistan has narrow genetic base and experiencing high level of genetic erosion perhaps due to selection for similar traits, replacement by new uniform varieties and socio-economic changes in agriculture. Therefore, future germplasm collections should be focused to the unexplored, unique peripheral and more isolated areas of the country. Introduction of germplasm from abroad and hybridization in the available material will also be helpful to broaden the gene-pool of oilseed mustard in Pakistan.]]>Arif, M., M.S. Bhatti and M. Ashizawa,19941994Caradus, J.R., A.C. MacKay, D.R. Woodfield, V.D.J. Bosch and S. Wewala,198942183196Frankel, O.H., A.H.D. Brown and J.J. Buron,1995Pages: 299Pages: 299Getinet, A., G. Rakow, J.P. Roney and R.K. Downey,199676387392Gupta, V.P., M.S. Sekhon and D.R. Satija,1991Brassica juncea L. (Czern and Coss)).]]>51448453IBPGR.,1990Brassica and Raphanus.]]>pp: 51pp: 51Kennard, W.C., M.K. Slocum, S.S. Figdore and T.C. Osborn,199487721732Knowles, P.F. and M.A. Rana,19761976Mulder, J.H. and H.D. Mastebroek,1996Crambe hispanica, a wild relative of Crambe abyssinica.]]>89267278Okuno, K.,19961996pp: 151158Pecetti, L., P. Annicchiarico and A.B. Damania,199260229238Rabbani, M.A., A. Iwabuchi, Y. Murakami, T. Suzuki and K. Takayanagi,1998Brassica juncea L.) germplasm from Pakistan.]]>101357366Retamal, N., M. Lopez-Venoes and J.M. Duran,1982Arachis hypogaea L.) grown in Spain.]]>8014Revilla, P. and W.F. Tracy,1995120112118Song, K., M.K. Slocum and T.C. Osborn,1995Brassica rapa (Syn. Campestris).]]>90110Steel, R.G. and J.H. Torrie,19812nd Edn.,Pages: 633Pages: 633Vaughan, D.A. and M.T. Jackson,19951995pp: 229-239pp: 229-239Williams, J.T.,1991456191Woods, D.L., J.J. Capcara and R.K. Downey,1991Brassica juncea (L.) Coss) as an edible oil crop on the Canadian prairies.]]>71195198