Agronomic and quality characteristics of spring wheat lines selected for protein content and protein yield

Summary High protein cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from eight foreign countries and the United States were used in crosses to provide progeny for a recurrent selection program. After two cycles of selection, 40 lines selected for protein yield and 16 lines selected fro protein percentage were evaluated with parents in yield nurseries at Bozeman, Montana.Lines selected for protein pereentage had the highest protein percentages, protein yields similar to the parents, and grain yields lower than the parents. Lines selected for protein yield had protein percentages intermediate between those of the parents and lines selected for protein percentage, but they had the highest protein yields and grain yields. Protein percentage and grain yield were negatively correlated and protein yield and grain yield were positively correlated for both groups of lines. The data tend to suggest that protein yield may a better selection criterion than protein percentage for plant breeders to use in improving protein productivity, although additional testing of this hypothesis is proposed.Milling and baking data showed transgressive improvement over the mean of the patents in many important quality aspects, indicating that good quality lines can be obtained from crosses involving poor to mediocre quality cultivars.Joint contribution of ARS, USDA and the Mont. Agric. Exp. Stn. Published with approval of the Director of the Mont. Agric. Exp. Stn. as Paper No. 1181, Journal Series. Received 19 June 1981.     

Mass selection for kernel depth in early maize

Summary Effectiveness of mass selection for kernel depth in an early maize (Zea mays L.) synthetic, i.e. NDSAB, was evaluated in eight North Dakato environments. Four cycles of selection for deeper kernels were evaluated for grain yield and associated traits by using corresponding randomly selected subpopulations of NDSAB to adjust out inbreeding effects on selected subpopulations. General combining ability (GCA) effects of selected subpopulations also were evaluated for these traits.Subpopulations selected from one to four cycles for deep kernels were reciprocally crossed to corresponding randomly selected subpopulations in a factorial mating design. Subpopulations, selfed subpopulations, and subpopulation crosses were evaluated for yield and associated traits. Subpopulations selected for deep kernels generally had deeper kernels, higher yields, heavier kernels, more kernel rows per ear, and lower test weights than corresponding randomly selected subpopulations. Differences in GCA effects among selected and unselected subpopulations generally corresponded to differences between selected and unselected parental subpopulations. Inbreeding effects from selfing were observed for all traits, but no average heterosis was detected when subpopulation crosses were compared to parental subpopulations. Reciprocal differences were observed for all traits except kernel depth, but these differences were inconsistent relative to whether deep kerneled females made superior hybrids to unselected females.Results supported the use of mass selection for kernel depth as a means of grain yield improvement in the short term for NDSAB. However, negative associations of kernel depth with test weight may restrict long term use of this procedure.Journal Article No. 1505 of the North Dakota Agric. Exp. Stn., Fargo     

Quantitative trait loci for grain yield and yield components in a cross between a six-rowed and a two-rowed barley

Summary The positions of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield and yield components were estimated using a 85-point linkage map and phenotype data from a F₁-derived doubled haploid (DH) population of barley. Yield and its components were recorded in two growing seasons. Highly significant QTL effects were found for all traits at several sites in the genome. A major portion of the QTL was found on chromosome 2. The effect of the alleles in locus v on thousand grain weight and kernels per ear explained 70–80% of the genetic variation in the traits. QTL × year interaction was found for grain yield. Several different QTL were found within the two-rowed DH lines compared to those found in the six-rowed DH lines. Epistasis between locus v and several loci for yield and yield components indicates that genes are expressed differently in the two ear types. This may explain the difficulties of selecting high yielding lines from crosses between two-rowed and six-rowed barley.Abbreviations DH doubled haploid - QTL quantitative trait locus/loci - RAPD random amplified polymorphic DNA - RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism - T. Prentice Tystofte Prentice - V. Gold Vogelsanger Gold     

Inheritance of biotype E greenbug resistance in bread wheat CI 17882 and its relationship with wheat streak mosaic virus resistance

Summary Genetic studies were conducted to determine the inheritance of biotype E greenbug resistance in CI 17882 (CI 15092/T. speltoides//Fletcher/3/4^* Centurk), a wheat germplasm line previously released as resistant to wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV). In addition, the association of greenbug and WSMV resistance in CI 17882 was examined. Results indicated that biotype E greenbug resistance in CI 17882 is conditioned by a single dominant gene that is not linked with the WSMV resistance gene.Cooperative research of the USDA, Agricultural Research Service and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station. Journal article 4845 of the Oklahoma Agric. Exp. Stn., Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK 74078.     

A comparison of yield and yield component selection in winter wheat

Summary Three populations of winter wheat were formed by crossing Avrora to Sage, TAM W-101, and Danne. Approximately 10% of the F₂ plants from these crosses were selected for high and low levels of number of tillers per plant, number of kernels per spike, 1000-kernel weight, and grain yield. Forty-eight solid seeded F₃ lines obtained from the selected F₂ plants were then selected for high and low expressions of yield components and grain yield. Realized heritabilities were estimated. Indirect responses of yield to yield component selection and direct response to selection for grain yield were measured. Heritabilities were low for tiller number, number of kernels per spike and kernel weights but were high or intermediate for grain yield when selection occurred in the F₂ generation. When selection was practiced in the F₃ generation, heritabilities for tiller number and yield were low, but were intermediate to high for number of kernels per spike and kernel weight and high heritabilities were found for kernel weight. Selection for kernel weight often increased grain yield; however, direct selection for grain yields was usually as effective.Journal article no. J-4488 of the Oklahoma Agri. Exp. Stn., Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074.     

Breeding Progress in Grain Yield and Selected Agronomic Characters of Winter Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) over the Last Quarter of a Century

This study gives estimates of breeding progress achieved in winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) since the 1960′s in grain yield and the change in several morphological traits for seventeen historically important cultivars: 12 six-rowed and 5 two-rowed, grouped into four epochs according to the period of major commercialization in Italy. All genotypes were evaluated across a range of soil fertility and climatic environments. The modern six-rowed cultivars have shown a consistent increase in tillers/m² and seeds/spike (16 and 28 %, respectively) over the local populations. In the modern two-rowed cultivar ‘Igri’ the increase in tillers/m² and seed weight were, respectively, 20 and 14 % snd seeds/spike decreased by 20 % over the local populations. The modern six-rowed and two-rowed cultivars have less lodging, are earlier and shorter than the old varieties and local populations. In the last quarter of a century, the breeding progress for gram yield has been increased by 52 and 74 kg/ ha/year or 0.75 and 1.1 % per year respectively, for six-rowed and two-rowed genotypes: while the gain in biomass yield in the same period was not uniform for six-rowed cuitivars and increased by 64 kg/ha/ year or 0.46 % in two-rowed cultivars. The grain yield improvement in the modern six-rowed and two-rowed cultivars is the result of a better partitioning of the photosynthetic products into the grain.     

An evaluation for genetic variation within maize inbred lines maintained by sib-mating and self-pollination

Summary Maintaining maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines without genetic change is an important concern of maize breeders and seed producers. Long-time inbred lines, however, have been shown to be genetically unstable, and with selection pressure acting on the resulting genetic variation, these lines have evolved into different strains. The objective of this study was to compare maintenance of line integrity under reproduction by sib-mating and self-pollination in ear-to-row progenies. Ten lines, varying from 5 to 35 generations of previous ear-to-row selfing, were maintained for 11 successive generations under each method of reproduction. Alternate generations were compared by using a randomized complete-block design with each family of lines as a separate experiment. Data were collected for 10 plant and yield traits: pollen shed and silk emergence dates, plant and ear heights, tassel branch number, kernel row number, ear length and diameter, grain yield, and 300-kernel weight. Summarizing for F-tests over all traits and experiments, 30% were significant among sib-mated generations and 56% among selfed generations. Also, overall generation means of the two methods were different for 51% of the comparisons, and the selfed lines were less vigorous for 79% of the significant comparisons. It was concluded that sib-mating lessens the effect of genetic instability and that a reproduction system of sib-mating with intermittent generations of selfing may be more beneficial than continuous ear-to-row selfing for certain lines.Joint contribution: USDA-ARS, and Journal Paper No. J-11880 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, IA 50011. Project No. 2194.     

Effect of row type,flowering type and several other spike characters on resistance to Fusarium head blight in barley

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive disease of barley. The genetics and expression of resistance to FHB in barley is complex, and various spike characters are thought to possibly influence resistance. Tests using spray-inoculation of Fusarium graminearum at anthesis in greenhouse environments showed that two-rowed and cleistogamous varieties from Japan belong to the highest resistance group, while six-rowed and chasmogamous varieties are mostly susceptible. In order to evaluate the effect of such spike characters, including row type and flowering type, on FHB resistance, near-isogenic lines (NILs) differing in these characters were tested for their resistance. Two testing methods were used: the pot-plant and cut-spike methods, in which spikes at anthesis were spray-inoculated in greenhouse environments. The chasmogamous NILs and some six-rowed NILs were significantly more diseased than cleistogamous and two-rowed parent lines, respectively, and the difference in FHB severity was greater and more stable between cleistogamous/chasmogamous NIL pairs than between two-/six-rowed pairs. Slight or no differences were observed in glaucous/non-glaucous, normal/dense spike, normal/uzu type and normal/deficiens NIL pairs. The results indicate that the contribution of cleistogamy and/or the genetic background toward FHB resistance is more than that of row type and the other tested spike characters. Further, it should be possible to develop six-rowed varieties with FHB resistance nearly as good as that of the two-rowed varieties.     

Molecular assessment of genetic diversity in winter barley and its use in breeding

Summary During the last decades extensive progress has been achieved in winter barley breeding with respect to both, yield and resistance to fungal and viral diseases. This progress is mainly due to the efficient use of the genetic diversity present within high yielding adapted cultivars and – with respect to resistance – to the extensive evaluation of genetic resources followed by genetic analyses and introgression of respective genes by sexual recombination. Detailed knowledge on genetic diversity present on the molecular level regarding specific traits as well as on the whole genome level may enhance barley breeding today by facilitating efficient selection of parental lines and marker assisted selection procedures. In the present paper the state of the art with respect to virus diseases, i.e. Barley mild mosaic virus, Barley yellow mosaic virus, and Barley yellow dwarf virus is briefly reviewed and first results on a project aiming on a genome wide estimation of genetic diversity which in combination with data on yield and additional agronomic traits may facilitate the detection of marker trait associations and a more efficient selection of parental genotypes are presented. By field tests of 49 two-rowed and 64 six-rowed winter barley cultivars the genetic gain in yield for the period 1970–2003 was estimated at 54.6 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (r² = 0.567) for the six-rowed cultivars and at 37.5 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (r² = 0.621) for the two-rowed cultivars. Analysis of 30 SSRs revealed a non-homogenous allele distribution between two and six-rowed cultivars and changes of allele frequencies in relation to the time of release. By PCoA a separation between two and six-rowed cultivars was observed but no clear cut differentiation in relation to the time of release. In the two-rowed cultivars an increase in genetic diversity (DI) from older to newly released cultivars was detected.     

Genetic detection of node of first fruiting branch in crosses of a cultivar with two exotic accessions of upland cotton

Flowering time has biological and agricultural significance for crops. In Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), photoperiodic sensitivity is a major obstacle in the utilization of primitive accessions in breeding programs. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis was conducted in two F₂ populations from the crosses between a day-neutral cultivar Deltapine 61 (DPL61) and two photoperiod sensitive G. hirsutum accessions (T1107 and T1354). Node of first fruiting branch (NFB) was used to measure relative time of flowering. Different flowering time genetic patterns were observed in the two populations. Two QTLs were found across five scoring dates, accounting 28.5 (qNFB-c21-1) and 15.9% (qNFB-c25-1) of the phenotypic variation at the last scoring date in Pop. 1107 (DPL61 by T1107); whereas, one major QTL (qNFB-c25-1) can be detected across five scoring dates, explained 63.5% of the phenotypic variation at the last scoring date in Pop. 1354 (DPL61 by T1354). QTLs with minor effects appeared at various scoring date(s), indicating their roles in regulating flowering at a lower or higher node number. Genetic segregation analysis and QTL mapping results provide further information on the mechanisms of cotton photoperiodic sensitivity. Part of a Ph.D. dissertation by senior author submitted to the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, December 2007. Contribution of USDA-ARS in cooperation with the Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn. Journal paper J. 11276 of Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn.     

Transgressive segregation in inter and intraspecific crosses of barley

Summary Six populations of F₂-derived lines of barley and their parents were evaluated for heading date, plant height, grain yield, bundle weight, and harvest index in a replicated experiment in the field. These data were used to estimate the minimum number of effective factor pairs segregating for each trait, the number of favorable factors contributed by each parent in a cross, and the frequencies and magnitudes of transgressive segregates.Heading date, plant height, and harvest index were controlled by three to four effective factor pairs, whereas grain yield and bundle weight were controlled by five or more.All three H. spontaneum strains used in our study contributed one or more useful genes for each of the traits, grain yield, heading date, plant height, bundle weight, and harvest index. Therefore, it seems that H. spontaneum can be a useful source of favorable genes for quantitative traits, especially for grain yield, which could be incorporated into barley varieties readily by backcrossing. Transgressive segregates for grain yield in the interspecific crosses may provide the basic materials for improving the productivity of cultivated barley varieties.Journal Paper No. J-9760 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, IA 50011. Project 2227. Supported in part by a grant from the Science and Education Administration-Cooperative Research, United States Department of Agriculture.     

Associations between nitrogen harvest index and yield characteristics of oats

Summary Fifty lines of oats (Avena Sativa L.) with a broad range of nitrogen harvest indexes (NHI) and nine check lines were evaluated in 15 environments to study the association between NHI and adaptability of oat lines to soils with different productivity levels due primarily to different amounts of N. Three yield characteristics (i.e., mean across environments, regression response to improving environments, and stability of response) were used to measure adaptability. The lines were significantly variable for means of grain and straw yield, for responsiveness to improving environments, and for stability of yield. Among the yield characteristics, only the mean of grain yield was significantly correlated with NHI.Journal Paper No. J-13336 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, Iowa, 50011. Project 2447.     

Evaluation of drought tolerance for Atlas fescue,perennial ryegrass,and their progeny

Primitive cottons (Gossypium spp.) represent resources for genetic improvement. Most primitive accessions are photoperiod sensitive; they do not flower under the long days of the U.S. cotton belt. Molecular markers were used to locate quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for node of first fruiting branch (NFB), a trait closely related to flowering time in cotton. An F₂ population consisted of 251 plants from the cross of a day neutral cultivar Deltapine 61, and a photoperiod sensitive accession Texas 701, were used in this study. Segregation in the population revealed the complex characteristics of NFB. Interval mapping and multiple QTL mapping were used to determine QTLs contributing to NFB. Three significant QTLs were mapped to chromosome 16, 21, and 25; two suggestive QTLs were mapped to chromosome 15 and 16. Four markers associated with these QTLs accounted for 33% of the variation in NFB by single and multiple-marker regression analyses. Two pairs of epistasis interaction between markers were detected. Our results suggested that at least three chromosomes contain factors associated with flowering time for this population with epistasis interactions between chromosomes. This research represent the first flowering time QTL mapping in cotton. Makers associated with flowering time may have the potential to facilitate day neutral conversion of accessions. Contribution of USDA-ARS in cooperation with the Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn. Journal paper J-11131 of Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn. Mention of trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by USDA, ARS and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.     

Correlated response to recurrent selection for groat-oil content in oats

Summary One hundred random oat (Avena sativa L.) lines from a base (C₀) and each of three populations (C₁, C₂, and C₃) improved for groat (caryopsis) oil content by phenotypic recurrent selection were evaluated for correlated changes in several unselected agronomic traits. In addition, the parents of the base population and four check varieties were evaluated for the same traits. Phenotypic recurrent selection for high groat-oil content resulted in no significant correlated response in mean expression of any trait. Mean grain yield, biomass, groat yield, and harvest index of the improved populations were equal or superior to the mean of the parents and, with the exception of harvest index, equivalent to the mean of the check varieties. Mean test weight and seed weight of all populations were lower than for parents or check varieties. Selection for high groat-oil content caused a decline in genotypic variance for test weight and groat fraction, but reductions in genotypic variance for heading date and plant height may have resulted from culling for good agronomic type. Broad-sense heritability remained moderate to high for all traits except groat fraction. Phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficients revealed negative, though mostly nonsignificant, relationships between groat-oil content and several traits, which may reflect a purported bioenergetic limitation to increasing groat-oil content in oats. Oil yield, however, was positively correlated with grain and groat yield, groat fraction, biomass, and harvest index. Results suggest that development of high-oil oat cultivars with current levels of production traits via phenotypic recurrent selection is possible.Journal Paper no. J-13038 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, IA 50011. Project 2447.     

Bermudagrass cultivar identification by use of isoenzyme electrophoretic patterns

Summary Isoenzyme analysis has been demonstrated as an effective tool for definitive identification of plant cultivars, but it has not been applied to pasture bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) cultivars in the USA. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to study five isoenzyme systems in mitochondrial, microsomal, and soluble cell fractions of actively growing leaves, stems, and roots of seven vegetatively-propagated pasture bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) cultivars used in the southern half of the USA. Peroxidase, esterase, and, with one exception, acid phosphatase successfully differentiated between the cultivars in all leaf and stem cell fractions. Fewer cultivar differences were found for amino- and endo-peptidases. Only peroxidase and acid phosphatase were resolved from root cell fractions; and only the microsomal fraction differentiated between all cultivars. Within plant parts, cultivars were distinguishable on the basis of peptidase banding in some cellular fractions, but not in others. Plant part and subcellular fraction-specific isoenzyme variations suggest the existence of multiple molecular forms of various enzymes within the same plant.Journal Article 5746 of the Okla. Agric. Exp. Stn.     

Crossability and embryo rescue enhancement in wide crosses between wheat and three Agropyron species

Summary Soft winter wheat lines were crossed with Agropyron intermedium, A. elongatum and A. trichophorum using pollen from single plants of Agropyron spp. to pollinate wheat spikes. Not only species but also individual plants within varieties of Agropyron species differed in percent seed set with a wheat genotype. In two arrays of crosses between two phenotypically different plants of A. elongatum and nine wheat lines, one Agropyron plant gave higher seed set (overall=27.1%) than the other (overall=3.7%). The differences were significant in seven of the nine cross combinations. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that these two plants differ in their crossability as pollen parents with wheat, and suggest the possibility of occurrence of crossability genes in wheatgrasses. The success rate of hybrid embryo rescue was higher (87.5%) with cold treatment (4°C) than without cold treatment (75.0%) of excised embryos on culture media. Results underscore the significance of genotype of the alien species for crossing with low crossable wheats, and of the physical factors for improving embryo rescue in wide crosses.Contribution No. 11,825, Purdue Agric. Exp. Stn., West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. The research was supported in part by Public Varieties of Indiana.     

The origin of six-rowed ‘wild’ barley from the western Himalaya

Summary Plants were grown from seed of two-rowed wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum, and six-rowed brittlerachised barley. H. agriocrithon, collected in Ladakh, north-western India. Whereas the H. spontaneum remained true to type, segregation for morphological characters was observed in progeny rows grown from heads of H. agriocrithon plants. The H. agriocrithon heads also showed segregation for a biochemical character, the polypeptide pattern of the endosperm storage protein fraction (hordein). The H. agriocrithon seed therefore originated from natural hybridization between cultivated H. vulgare and weedy H. spontaneum. Crosses of H. vulgare and H. spontaneum gave progeny which resembled H. agriocrithon and showed similar hordein polypeptide segregation patterns. The results indicate that six-rowed brittle-rach ised barleys from the Himalayas have a similar origin to forms found in the Middle East, and that H. agriocrithon does not play a direct role in the evolution of barley.     

Variation in relation to geographical distribution of wild oats-seed traits

Summary A sample of 457 wild oats (Avena sterilis L.) from the world collection maintained at the Germplasm Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, USA, was studied for variation of six seed characters via means, ranges, variances, and frequencies from various geographical areas. It was concuded that region-specific adaptations are responsible for occurrence of certain trait(s) in specific geographical regions; e.g., Libyan and Iraqi collections had high protein percentage, Israeli strains had high oil percentage, and the Middle East and Central Asian lines had a high number of spikelets per panicle. The main conclusion of interest here is that, within the same species, estimates of the amount of variation may vary widely, depending upon the area sampled, geographical scale of sampling, etc., presumably due to the complex interrelationship between genetic and ecological factors.Journal Paper No. J-12670 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Amers, Iowa, Project 2447.     

Genetic diversity for agronomic and fiber traits in day-neutral accessions derived from primitive cotton germplasm

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL) is an important crop that is cultivated in warm climates through-out the world. Agronomic performance and fiber quality must continually be improved if cotton is to maintain economic viability. Primitive ancestors of cotton contain diversity for trait improvement; however, many of these accessions have a short-day flowering response (photoperiodic) and are not readily useable in breeding programs. In this study, 114 day-neutral derived primitive germplasm lines were evaluated in field trials for two years. Agronomic and fiber trait data were collected and analyzed. Variance components, genotypic values, and genotypic correlations were calculated. Genotypic effects for all traits studied made significant contributions to the phenotypic variation indicating genetic diversity among these lines. The predicted genotypic values showed a wide range of variation for agronomic and fiber traits. Weak genotypic correlations were found between yield and 2.5% span length and fiber strength, two important fiber traits. Although these day-neutral derived accessions had lower lint percentage, they had improved fiber length, strength, micronaire, and comparable yields with two commercial cultivars. Thus, these day-neutral derived accessions are sources of genetic variation that when used in breeding programs offer the potential to improve important traits and expand genetic diversity.Contribution of the USDA-ARS in cooperation with the Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn. Mention of trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by USDA, ARS and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.     

Evaluation of genetic variances, heritabilities, and correlations for yield and fiber traits among cotton F2 hybrid populations

Summary F₂ hybrid cultivars continue to occupy a small portion of the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production are in the United States, but occupy a larger proportion of the production area in some other countries. Sixty-four F₂ hybrids resulting from crosses of four commercial cultivars and 16 pest-resistant germplasm lines were evaluated for five fiber and four yield traits in four environments at Mississippi State, MS. An additive-dominance genetic model was employed for these traits. The minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimation (MINQUE) method was used with a mixed model approach for estimating genetic variance and covariance components and for predicting genetic correlations. This study investigated genetic variances, heritabilities, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between agronomic and fiber traits among these 64 F₂ hybrid populations and discussed the usefulness of these populations for use as hybrids or for selections for pure lines.Dominance variance accounted for the major proportion of the phenotypic variances for lint yield, lint percentage, and boll size indicating that hybrids should have an advantage for these traits compared to pure lines. A low proportion of additive variance for fiber traits and the significant additive x environment variance components indicated a lack of substantial useful additive genetic variability for fiber traits. This suggests that selections for pure lines within these F₂ populations would have limited success in improving fiber traits. Genetic and phenotypic correlation coefficients were of comparable magnitude for most pairs of characters. Fiber strength showed a positive additive genetic correlation with boll weight. Dominance genetic correlations of fiber strength with elongation and 2.5% span length were also significant and positive; however, the additive genetic correlation of length and strength was zero.Contribution of the USDA-ARS in cooperation with the Mississippi Agric. and Forestry Exp. Stn.