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Genetic components of variance and heritability of flowering time were estimated for five generations of the Davis Populationof Gerbera hybrids, Composite, Estimates of narrow-sense heritability averaged 0.50 and broad-sense heritability averaged 0.77 using the NCII design. Narrow-sense heritability was also estimated with two models of parent-offspring regression, resulting in average heritability of 0.49 and 0.51. Estimates of components of variance indicated that the major genetic effect controlling flowering time is additive. However, the dominance component accounted for 28% of the total variance; the environmental component was only 23%. Flowering time is negatively correlated with cut-flower yield. The phenotypic coefficient was –0.34; genetic correlations were –0.47 when estimated from the NCII design, and –0.72 when estimated from the parent-off-spring method. A practical model was constructed to assess the efficiency of indirect selection for cut-flower yield using flowering time as a marker trait. The advantages of indirect selection accruing from increased population size and reduced generation time are discussed.
Additive genetic components of variance and narrow-sense heritabilities were estimated for flowering time and cut-flower yield for generations 8-13 of the Davis population of gerbera, using the least squares (LS) and restricted maximum likelihood (REML)
methods. Estimates of heritability for flowering time were 0.54 and 0.50 using REML and LS, respectively, indicating a close agreement between the two methods. However, estimates of heritability for cut-flower yield were 0.30 and 0.46 from REML and LS. This may result from the fact that cut-flower yield was selected in each generation; flowering time was not. Realized heritability for cut-flower yield was estimated to be 0.26 which agreeded more closely with the heritability estimated from REML. The advantages of REML, and its applications in the estimation of components of genetic variance and heritability of plant populations are discussed.
Inbreeding depression is found in most flower crops. Limited population size can cause inbreeding even in outcrossed populations. The Davis population of Gerbera hybrida has been selected for increasing flower yield for 15 generations. The mean yield per plant of the population has been increased from 14.2 to 28.0 flowers per winter six-month period. In each generation 23 to 80 selected parents have been crossed at random. Inbreeding coefficients were estimated from the pedigrees of each of the 6199 plants in the 16 generations. The inbreeding level in this population was found to increase in each generation and currently is 16.5%. Mean yield and inbreeding per family have a statistically significant negative correlation in generations 13 to 16. The results indicate that inbreeding is increasing in this randomly outcrossed population because of its finite number of parents, and that yield is reduced by 3.9 flowers per six-month due to inbreeding.
The effects of long-term genetic improvement are measured by selection response predicted from estimates of narrow-sense heritability. However, changes of population mean must be partitioned into genetic and environmental components-in order to accurately estimate selection response.
A long-term selection experiment for cut-flower yield in the Davis population of gerbera (Gerbera hybrida, Compositae) was conducted for sixteen generations. Breeding value was estimated for individual plants in the population using Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP). Genetic change was calculated from breeding values of individual plants in each generation. The results of this study indicate: the long-term selection experiment was successful and necessary for genetic improvement. Genetic change over sixteen generations was 33 flowers. Mean breeding values increased monotonously with an “S” shape pattern. Environmental effects fluctuated from generation to generation. Cut-flower yield in the Davis population of gerbera will continuously respond to selection.
Genetic components of variance and heritability of flowering time were estimated for five generations of the Davis Populationof Gerbera hybrids, Composite, Estimates of narrow-sense heritability averaged 0.50 and broad-sense heritability averaged 0.77 using the NCII design. Narrow-sense heritability was also estimated with two models of parent-offspring regression, resulting in average heritability of 0.49 and 0.51. Estimates of components of variance indicated that the major genetic effect controlling flowering time is additive. However, the dominance component accounted for 28% of the total variance; the environmental component was only 23%. Flowering time is negatively correlated with cut-flower yield. The phenotypic coefficient was –0.34; genetic correlations were –0.47 when estimated from the NCII design, and –0.72 when estimated from the parent-off-spring method. A practical model was constructed to assess the efficiency of indirect selection for cut-flower yield using flowering time as a marker trait. The advantages of indirect selection accruing from increased population size and reduced generation time are discussed.
Abstract
Statistics were developed to measure the relative importance of genotype × environmental (GE) interactions. Estimates indicate that as much as half of the genetic variance for cut-flower yield in the Davis Population of Gerbera may be attributable to GE interactions. The bias this causes in broad-sense heritability estimates averaged 10.3% ± 2.97% for single-factor interactions; 15.6% ± 3.52% for 2-factor interactions, and 26.8% ± 3.45% for 3-factor interactions. The mean unadjusted broad-sense heritability for cut-flower yield in the same experiments was 37.1% ± 6.54%. Therefore, response equations that do not take interaction bias into account will overestimate selection potential.
Abstract
Twelve common bean cultivars were utilized to obtain estimates of outcrossing at Davis in 1971 and 1972. The maximum and minimum rates of outcrossing were estimated to be 0.007 and zero. Thus, outcrossing blocks cannot be used successfully in environments like that at Davis in 1971 and 1972, and little or no isolation is needed to obtain selfed seed.
Abstract
R/r alleles in kidney bean had no effect on seed yield. It should be possible to develop dark red kidney cultivars that yield as well as light red kidney cultivars. The interaction of genotypes with locations suggests that many locations will be required to evaluate the yield of breeding lines. While years and locations had the largest interaction, genotypes did not interact with years. The evaluation of kidney bean cultivars in California should be done at as many locations as possible and sampling many years is of minor concern.
The frequency distribution of gerbera flower hue in the Davis population of gerbera appears continuous and bimodal. This suggests that a gene of large effect may be segregating in a background of polygenic variation. CSA is a statistical technique developed in genetic epidemiology for investigating such complex traits without the need of inbred lines. The REGC program of SAGE (Elston, LSU Medical Center, New Orleans) uses the regressive models of G. Bonney (1984) through pedigree analysis to provide estimates of major gene parameters and residual correlations among relatives. Pedigrees obtained from generations 14, 15, and 16 indicate that a major dominant gene for hue is segregating and accounting for -0.66 of the total variation. The genotypic means are 32 degrees and 71 degrees for the aa and bb genotypes, respectively. The a allele is dominant to the b allele and has a frequency of 0.55. The residual parent-offspring correlation estimate is 0.2 and measures the genetic contribution to the remainder of the variance.
The frequency distribution of gerbera flower hue in the Davis Population of Gerbera appears continuous and bimodal. This suggests that a gene of large effect may be segregating in a background of polygenic variation. CSA is a statistical technique developed in genetic epidemiology for investigating such complex traits, without the need of inbred lines. The REGC program of SAGE (Elston, LSU Med. Center, New Orleans) utilizes the regressive models of G. Bonney (1984) through pedigree analysis to provide estimates of major gene parameters and residual correlations among relatives. Pedigrees obtained from generations 14, 15, and 16 indicate that a major dominant gene for hue is segregating and accounting for ∼ 0.66 of the total variation. The genotypic means are 32 degrees and 71 degrees for the aa and bb genotypes, respectively. The `a' allele is dominant to the `b' allele and has a frequency of 0.55. The residual parent-offspring correlation estimate is 0.2, and measures the genetic contribution to the remainder of the variance.