VYAKARANAHAL, B. S.SHANKRAYYA2019-01-222019-01-222015-06http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810091952The field experiments were conducted to study the effect of staggered sowing on flowering synchrony, seed yield and quality of sunflower hybrid DSFH-2 consisted of seven staggered sowing treatments with three replications. Significantly higher head diameter (13.15 cm), number of seeds per head (946.17), head dry weight (86.78 g), number of filled seeds per head (783.85) and its weight (35.07 g), seed set (82.76 %), seed weight per plant (38.50 g) and seed yield per hectare (12.38 q/ha) was significantly higher when the male parent was sown two days later to the female parent followed by four later sowing. Effect dates of sowing on flowering behaviour of parental lines of sunflower hybrid DSFH-2 nine different sowing dates with three replications. The results revealed that male parent (RHA-16) has to be sown one to two days later to female parent (CMS-234A) between July to September and January to March sowing whereas, two to three days later to female parent in October to December sowing. Effect of foliar application of growth regulators and micronutrients on flowering synchrony, seed yield and quality of sunflower hybrid DSFH-2 consisted of foliar spray of ten growth regulators and micronutrient treatments with three replications. Significantly higher head diameter (13.03 cm), number of seeds per head (938.50), head dry weight (88.25 g), number of filled seeds per head (794.15) and its weight (34.20 g), seed set (84.19 %), seed weight per plant (40.77 g), seed yield per hectare and also higher seed quality parameters like germination (95.00 %), seedling vigour index (3072), shoot length (17.43 cm), root length (14.90 cm), seedling length (32.33 cm), dry weight of seedling (0.44 g), volume weight of seed (46.82 g) 100 seed weight (4.72 g), oil content (37.47 %), field emergence (89.50 %) and lower values of electrical conductivity (0.355 dSm-1) were significantly highest (11.73 q/ha) due to foliar application of GA3 @ 50 ppm (T6) which was followed by boron @ 0.2 per cent (T5) (11.49 q/ha) and ZnSO4 @ 0.5 per cent (T9) (11.24 q/ha) respectively. Sunflower hybrids could be distinguishable clearly from their parental lines using SSR markers. HA3640 and HA4011 can be confidently used for identification of DSFH-2, but the SSR marker ORS 691 can be used for identification as well as for seed genetic purity test of DSFH -3.ennullThesis