Half-sib family selection for yield of digestible organic matter in kale (Brassica oleraceal L.)

Summary Four generations of half-sib family selection for yield of digestible organic matter have been completed, from an initial population which included marrow-stem kales, thousand-head kales, curled kales, Brussels sprouts and cabbages. Relative to the mean yields of two control cultivars the population means were: 106% (gen₀), 122% (gen₁), 128% (gen₂), 111% (gen₃) and 103% (gen₄). These initially encouraging and then disappointing results are discussed along with suggestions for improvements in the population improvement scheme, particularly with respect to the assessment of genotype-environment interactions.     

Development of novel clubroot resistant rapeseed lines (Brassica napus L.) effective against Japanese field isolates by marker assisted selection

Clubroot is an important disease infectible to cruciferous plants and a major threat to rapeseed production in Japan. However, no clubroot resistant rapeseed cultivars have been released. We surveyed pathotype variation of six isolates collected from rapeseed fields and found they were classified as pathotype groups 2 and 4 using Japanese F₁ Chinese cabbage cultivars. We produced the resynthesized clubroot resistant Brassica napus harboring two resistant loci, Crr1 and Crr2, by interspecific crossing and developed resistant rapeseed lines for southern and northern regions by marker-assisted selection and backcrossing. We improved the DNA marker for erucic acid content to remove linkage drag between Crr1 and high erucic acid content and successfully selected lines with clubroot resistance and zero erucic acid for northern regions. A novel line, ‘Tohoku No. 106’, suitable for southern regions showed stable resistance against all six isolates and high performance in infested fields. We conclude that Crr1 and Crr2 are important genes for CR rapeseed breeding and marker-assisted selection is effective in improving clubroot resistance.     

Selection for resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor. in oriental subspecies of Brassica rapa L.

Summary Selection for resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor. in oriental groups of Brassica rapa L.Two hundred and sixty-five cultivars of leafy, oriental bassicas were tested for resistance to 18 collections of Plasmodiophora brassicae, the causal agent of clubroot. The tests were conducted in the greenhouse at low and high level inoculum concentrations. Eleven cultivars of B. rapa pe-tsai, five cultivars of B. rapa pak-choy and three cultivars of B. rapa choy-sum consistently segregated for resistance at the lower concentration of inoculum (1000 spores/ml). All 265 cultivars were susceptible at the higher concentration (1 000 000 spores/ml). Three cultivars were used in pedigree and recurrent selection schemes for increased resistance. After three cycles of selfing resistant individuals, significantly more resistant S₃ lines were derived from each cultivar. Lines derived from two cultivars. Chinese White and PI 257236, continued to improve with each cycle of selection and demonstrated increased resistance to higher levels of inoculum (up to 1 000 000 spores/ml) New cultivars based on intercrosses of S₂ resistant individuals also had significantly better resistance than the original cultivar. After two cycles of selection in the third cultivar, PI 419007, resistance did not increase and its S₂ mass did not differ significantly from the original cultivar. Evidence that indicates resistance is pathotype-non-differential and offers an alternative to major gene, pathotype-differential types of resistance currently being introduced to the leafy oriental brassicas from other Brassica rapa groups.     

The transfer of characters from Brassica campestris L. to Brassica napus L.: Production of clubroot-resistant oil-seed rape (B. napus ssp oleifera)

Summary Four oil-seed rape lines were crossed with a clubroot resistant Brassica campestris line from the European Clubroot Differential sct. The allotriploid hybrids were backcrossed to the rape lines to introgress clubroot resistance into oil-seed rape. Using a combination of screening for disease resistance and chromosome number, a high proportion of 38-chromosome, clubroot resistant selections were obtained.     

Association of RFLP markers with trait loci affecting clubroot resistance and morphological characters in Brassica oleracea L.

Summary Resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor. race 7, the causal agent of the disease clubroot, was examined in an F₂ population of a cross between a clubroot resistant broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and a susceptible cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis). A genetic linkage map was constructed in the same population based on the segregation of 58 dispersed restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. Associations between the inheritance of RFLP marker genotypes and segregation for disease resistance, morphological and maturity characteristics were examined. For each triat examined, several chromosomal regions marked by RFLP probes appeared to contain trait loci, suggesting that each trait was under polygenic control. RFLP marker linkage to a major factor imparting dominance for clubroot resistance from the broccoli parent was observed in this population. Additionally, RFLP marker linkage to an independently segregating factor contributing clubroot resistance from the cauliflower parent was observed, indicating that it should be possible to use RFLP markers to facilitate selection of transgressive segregants having the combined resistance from both parental sources. In some instances, RFLP markers from the same or closely linked chromosomal regions were associated with both clubroot resistance and morphological traits. Analysis of RFLP marker genotypes at linked loci should facilitate the selection of desired disease resistant morphotypes.     

Turnip (Brassica rapa L. ssp. rapifera Metzg.) population improvement and cultivar production

In 1977, a fodder turnip breeding programme was started from seven cultivars with the primary aim of increasing dry‐matter yield. The breeding method chosen was population improvement by half‐sib family selection on a biennial cycle. Seed production in polythene tunnels with blowflies as pollinators was followed by assessing the resulting progenies in replicated yield trials and observation plots from which plants were selected for the next cycle. Six generations of selection resulted in a population with a yield that was 25% higher than the mean of the initial seven cultivars. This was remarkably close to the predicted superiority of the population, despite a significant discrepancy in one generation. It is concluded that the greatest response to selection per year would be achieved by selecting eight families from 128 assessed for 1 year in trials at two or three sites with an overall total of six replicates, given a resource limit of 800 plots.     

Selection for Seed Yield Production of Egyptian Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) C. V. Fahl

Modified mass and family selection for seed yield production of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) c.v. ‘Fahl’ were applied for two generations. Two hundred plants (5 % intensity of selection) were selected for seed yield in the first season, 1985/86. In the second season, 1986/87, selection between and within half-sib families was practiced. In addition, equal parts of seeds from each of the 200 selected plants were bulked to form the C₁ modified mass selection; after establishing, the same procedure was adopted to form the C₂ generation. The cycles 1 and 2 of half-sib families and modified mass selection along with the base population family were evaluated for forage and seed yields. The realized gains from modified mass selection were 6.03 and 9.51 % for fresh forage yield, 5.57 and 10.86 % for protein yield and 13.23 and 16.19 % for seed yield in cycles 1 and 2, respectively, over the base population. The realized gain from family selection in cycle 2 as a percentage of the base population mean amounted to 11.32, 13.35, 17.47 and 3.15% for forage, protein, and seed yield and seed index, respectively. The broad sense heritability, as estimated from the variance components was 89.63, 63.03, and 76.67 % for dry forage, seed yield and seed index, respectively. Although, all these five traits (fresh, dry, protein, and seed yield and seed index) had positive correlation with each other, weak correlations were found between seed yield and forage yields. Furthermore, close associations were found among forage yield traits.     

Studies on glucosinolates in clubroot resistant selections and susceptible commercial cultivars of cabbages

Summary Heads of 59 commercial cabbage cultivars, all susceptible to clubroot disease, and of 86 individual clubroot resistant cabbage plants of various breeding selections were analysed for their composition in glucosinolates, determined by quantifying their hydrolytic breakdown products, thiocyanate, goitrin, and volatile isothiocyanates. The mean thiocynate ion content was significantly lower in the breeding selections (120 g/g dry weight) than in the commercial cultivars (204 g/g). In contrast, the mean goitrin content was significantly higher in the breeding selections (193 g/g) than in the commercial cultivars (35 g/g). Similar to goitrin, the range of volatile isothiocyanates and total glucosinolate were higher in the breeding selections, but the mean contents of each were not statistically different between selections and cultivars. Fourteen cultivars and four selections were found to be free of goitrin; three cultivars, but no breeding selection were free of volatile isothiocyanates. The breeding selections will provide germplasm for breeding new clubroot resistant and low glucosinolate cultivars.Contribution No. J-965.     

Introgression of clubroot resistance into an elite pak choi inbred line through marker‐assisted introgression breeding

Clubroot is a soilborne disease that severely infects cruciferous species. Pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) is an economically important cruciferous crop cultivated throughout the world. However, no clubroot‐resistant germplasms have been identified in pak choi to date. To improve disease resistance, we used marker‐assisted selection (MAS) to introgress the clubroot resistance (CR) trait from the ‘CCR13685’ Chinese cabbage (B. rapa subsp. pekinensis) inbred line into an elite pak choi inbred line, ‘GHQ11021’. Genetic analysis of F₂ and BC₁ progeny showed that CR of ‘CCR13685’ was controlled by a single dominant gene. We designed nine candidate sequence‐characterized amplified region markers, K‐1 to K‐9, based on two molecular markers linked to the CR gene. We found that K‐3 co‐segregated with CR and an inoculation test confirmed that K‐3 could be used for MAS. Two introgression lines, BC₃‐1‐4 and BC₃‐2‐18, were developed using K‐3 for foreground selection. These lines displayed the same phenotypic properties as ‘GHQ11021’, but were highly resistant to clubroot, indicating that the CR gene of ‘CCR13685’ had been successfully introduced into pak choi.     

The Relationships between the Nutritive Value, Yield and Resistance of Alfalfa Cultivars to Diseases

The relationships between the digestibility of organic matter, the net energy value, the gas production from in vitro incubation of tissue with rumen liquid, the quantity of yield and the resistance of a variety to disease were investigated in nine alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) cultivars. The digestibility of organic matter and the net energy value of particular varieties were evaluated on the basis of chemical composition and the quantity of gas produced, while the resistance of cultivars to disease was evaluated visually by counting diseased plants. Negative correlations (r = - 0.85; P < 0.01) were recorded between the resistance of a variety to disease and in vitro production of gas and between the resistance of a variety to disease and net energy value of a cultivar (r = -0.78; P < 0.05) while a positive correlation (r = 0.74; P < 0.05) was established between DM yield and the disease resistance of cultivars.     

Genetic variability in herbage and seed yield in selected half-sib families of berseem clover, Trifolium alexandrinum L.

Berseem clover Trifolium alexandrinum L. is an annual forage legume commonly grown in pure stands and in grass mixtures in the Medi-terranean basin. Six populations were naturally cross-pollinated in 1990 and 1991 by a half-sib breeding method. In 1992 and 1993. 54 half-sib maternal plants, six original populations, and six advanced populations were field evaluated for forage (short cycle, harvest made at seven or eight inlernodes: long cycle, harvested at flowering) and seed yield (no forage harvest) in experiments at the Forage Crop Institute at Foggia, Italy (typical Mediterranean location). Genetic variability, narrow-sense herilability, genetic and phenotypic correlations among forage and seed yield component trails were investigated. The genetic variance in dry matter among maternal half-sib populations in short cycle was 51% greater than in long cycle. Narrow-sense heritabilily was 35% higher in short cycle than long cycle for dry matter and 26% higher for seed weight than seed yield. The magnitude of the genetic variance components and genetic correlations suggested that selection among plants of maternal half-sib populations would be more effective for improving dry matter in short than in long cycle harvests. The selection applied in the study was not effective for increasing seed yield per se however, the trait may be increased by selecting indirectly for seed weight.     

抗根肿病甘蓝型油菜新品种华油杂62R的选育

我国油菜根肿病发病面积在66.7万公顷左右,约占总生产面积的10%,已严重威胁到油菜的安全生产。基于此,本研究以含有CRb抗根肿病位点的大白菜材料CR Shinki为供体亲本,以甘蓝型油菜国审杂交种华油杂62的父本Pol.CMS恢复系Bing409为受体亲本,通过杂交、回交及自交等育种程序,结合前景和遗传背景筛选,将CRb抗病位点导入到Bing409中。在BC3F2代获得了遗传背景高度接近Bing409且含CRb抗病位点的抗根肿病新恢复系Bing409R,进而成功选育了我国首个抗根肿病杂交油菜新品种华油杂62R。CRb抗病位点在甘蓝型油菜背景中表现为单基因显性遗传,根肿病抗性遗传改良的同时并未对Bing409R及由其配制的杂交种华油杂62R的产量、品质造成不良影响,Bing409R及华油杂62R对我国四川、湖北、安徽等地区根肿菌生理小种具有免疫抗性。本研究的开展为我国油菜抗根肿病育种提供了宝贵资源,为我国抵抗油菜根肿病的威胁提供了重要保障。     

Genetic variability and heritability estimates for hardseededness and flowering in balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum Savi) populations

Suitability of annual pasture legume species like balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum Savi) in southern Australian farming systems depends on their hardseededness and time to flowering. Late maturing varieties with increased rate of hardseed breakdown, particularly in the late summer—early autumn period are desirable to ensure reliable regeneration in permanent pastures. Two half-sib family balansa clover populations were used to estimate heritability for the rate of breakdown of hardseededness and time to flowering. High narrow-sense heritability estimates (90.5–96.1%, rate of hardseed breakdown; 85.9–94.5%, time to flowering) were obtained, and were mainly attributed to additive gene effects. There was no relationship between rate of hardseed breakdown and time to flowering in Group1 half-sib family, which indicated that selection for both traits could be undertaken independently. In half-sib family Group 2 the relationship between the two traits suggested the possibility of selecting late maturing cultivars with increased rate of hardseed breakdown. Significant differences in time to flowering and rate of hardseed breakdown both within and between the two half-sib family groups suggested that phenotypic recurrent selection would be effective in improving the traits in these populations.     

Variation and covariation of silage maize digestibility estimated from digestion trials with sheep

Summary Variation and covariation for agronomic and digestibility traits of silage maize are reported from a compilation of 22 years of experiments with standard sheep. Genotype effects of DOM and DCF were highly significant, even when genotypes were nested in earliness groups or brown-midrib hybrids discarded (Table 2). The genetic variance of crude fiber content was low, but the variance of the DCF was high. The genetic variance of DOM was about 4 times lower than genetic variance of DCF, but broad sense heritability of DOM was higher because of lower residual variance (Table 3). Genetic correlations between grain or crude fiber content and DOM had similar absolute values, 0.65, so each of these two traits was an important but not the unique determinant of silage maize quality. There was no correlation between DCF and grain or crude fiber content. Yield was not related to DOM or DCF within each group of earliness, allowing some quality improvement without agronomic drift (Table 4). Except for late hybrids, most of DOM differences between groups of earliness came from lowering of minimum value, while maximum values were similar. It was the contrary for DCF, with similar minimum values for all groups (Table 5). There was no obvious correlation between year of registration of hybrids and DOM or DCF, but extra new variation seemed obtained only for low values (Figs 1, 2; Table 6). IVDOM according to the APC process was a poor predictor of DOM, especially when brown-midrib hybrids and earliness effects were discarded; but because heritability of this trait was similar to DOM heritability, such enzymatic processes could probably be used to avoid drift towards poor DOM with hybrids bred for higher stalk strength.Abbreviations APC Amylase Pepsine Cellulase solubility - DDM sheep digestibility of dry matter - DOM sheep digestibility of organic matter - DCF sheep digestibility of crude fiber - DM dry matter - IVDCW in vitro digestibility of cell wall - IVDDM in vitro digestibility of dry matter - IVDOM in vitro digestibility of organic matter - NIRS near infra-red reflectance spectroscopy - NDF neutral detergent fiber - bm₁-brown-midrib-1 allele, bm₃-brown midrib-3 allele     

Disease response of resynthesized Brassica napus L. lines carrying different combinations of resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor.

Resistance responses of resynthesized Brassica napus lines to infection with Plasmodiophora brassicae were investigated. Lines that were derived from interspecific crosses between clubroot-resistant B. rapa and resistant B. oleracea exhibited very broad and effective resistance in both greenhouse and field tests. When clubroot resistance was introduced into resynthesized lines from the B. oleracea parent only, the plants were mainly susceptible. Interspecific hybrids from the most resistant parental genotypes, i.e. B. campestris ECD-04 and the B. oleracea cultivars ECD-15 or ‘Bohmerwaldkohf’, were used to initiate a B. napus resistance-breeding programme. These artificial rapeseed lines were resistant to isolates that were virulent on all B. napus differential lines and/or parental lines. Preliminary segregation analysis suggests that their resistance is due to at least two dominant and unlinked genes. In some cases progenies from selfed resynthesized plants exhibited resistance reactions that differed from those of the parental hybrid plant; this may have been the result of cytological instability.     

感抗油菜近等基因系混播对根肿病发病率的影响

近年来,根肿病的迅速蔓延已对我国油菜生产造成严重威胁。课题组前期多年多点大田试验发现,感病、抗病品种混播可显著降低感病油菜品种根肿病发病率。为进一步探究感病、抗病品种播种间距对根肿病的防控效果,本试验采用穴盘栽培,设置感、抗根肿病油菜近等基因系不同播种间距(0、2、4、6 cm),出苗后7 d接种根肿菌,接种42 d后调查幼苗发病率、病情指数,并测定根系主要成分。结果表明:(1)与单播相比,感病、抗病品种同播时,抗病品种苗期发病率无明显变化,而感病品种苗期发病率显著下降,其发病率与感病、抗病品种播种间距密切相关,二者距离为0 cm时的发病率及病情指数均显著(P<0.05)低于其他处理;(2)与单播相比,感病、抗病品种同播时,抗病品种和感病品种根中可溶性糖及可溶性蛋白质含量均显著降低,酸不溶木质素含量在感病品种中显著增加,而在抗病品种中呈现先增加后降低的趋势;(3)发病率和病情指数均与根系可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量显著正相关(P<0.01),发病率与可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量的相关系数分别为0.797、0.403,病情指数与可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量的相关系数分别为0.822...     

Heritability estimates and progeny testing of phenotypic selections for soluble solids content in dehydrator onion

Soluble solids comprise most of onion bulb dry mass, and dehydrator onion cultivars are developed from breeding populations that have high dry mass content. Realized and narrow-sense heritability estimates were obtained for the soluble solids content (SSC) trait in two open-pollinated dehydrator onion breeding populations (BP) using response to selection and half-sib family analysis. Parental populations, designated as BP9335-U and BP9243-U, were derived from two-way crosses of lines advanced as open- pollinated (OP) populations to the F7 or F_6 generation, respectively. BP9335-U had one previous selection cycle for increased SSC and BP9243-U had three SSC selection cycles. In these experiments, parental populations were screened again for high SSC, and selected bulbs were intermated to form half-sib progeny groups, designated as BP9335-S and BP9243-S. Mean SSC was increased by 6.6% and a realized heritability estimate of 0.64 was obtained for BP9335-S. Mean SSC was increased by 6.3% and a realized heritability estimate of 0.36 was obtained for BP9243-S. Narrow-sense heritability estimates of 0.58 ±0.05 and 0.30 ±0.03 were obtained for parental populations BP9335-U and BP9243-U, respectively. Narrow-sense heritability estimates of 0.40 ± 0.03 and 0.63 ± 0.23 were obtained for progeny populations derived from selected high-SSC bulbs of these lines (BP9335-S and BP9243-S), respectively, indicating that there is significant additive genetic control of the SSC trait in these populations. Significant differences in half-sib family performance in the advanced groups BP9335-S and BP9243-S demonstrate that progeny testing was effective for evaluating phenotypic selections. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

油菜感抗品种混播对根肿病防控效果的影响

近年来,油菜根肿病危害在我国呈蔓延趋势,主要原因是化学防治成本高且效果差。实际生产中,种植抗性品种是最经济、最有效的措施。不同抗感品种混播,在保证产量稳定的前提下可减轻对病原菌小种的选择压,从而稳定病原菌种群结构,延长抗性品种使用寿命。本试验在安徽绩溪、云南临翔2个油菜根肿病严重发生区域,选择2组互为近等基因系的感病、抗病的油菜品种,按不同比例混播(感病、抗病比例分别为10:0、1:9、2:8、3:7和0:10),在根肿病明显发生后调查发病率等指标。结果表明:不同比例感病、抗病油菜品种混播均降低了根肿病发病率和病情指数,并稳定油菜产量和品质;且油菜发病株率随抗病品种的比例下降而升高,但均低于理论发病率;不同抗性组合间混播的相对防效(REM)均低于1,且随着作物生育期的推迟呈现下降趋势。以上结果表明,油菜感抗品种混播对根肿病有较好的防控效果。本研究主要在大田条件下明确了2组不同抗感近等基因组合混播对油菜根肿病的防治效果,可为油菜根肿病防治提供思路和对策。     

Early generation selection for potato tuber quality in progenies of late blight resistant parents

Developing disease resistant cultivars is one of the major objectives for a potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding program, but many resistant clones have not achieved commercial acceptance because of late maturity and non-marketable tuber characteristics. Selection for tuber quality should have greater emphasis inbreeding disease resistant cultivars. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the ability of late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) resistant parents to transmit chip-processing (tuber appearance, specificgravity, and chip-color) or tablestock (tuber appearance) quality to the offspring and 2) to compare selecting for tuber quality in single-hill versus eight-hill generations. We made crosses among eight unadapted potato cultivars (B0718-3,Bertita, Bzura, Greta, Libertas, Stobrawa, Tollocan, and Zarevo) with reported late blight resistance with adapted susceptible cultivars/breeding clones to generate 95populations (4,750 seedlings). Approximately 10% of the progeny from each cross were selected from single-hill plots based on tuber appearance, number, shape, and internal defects. These selected clones (408) were evaluated for tuber appearance, specific gravity, and chip-color. The same evaluations in the following year were made on tuber samples from eight-hill plots. Libertas and Tollocan were the best parents for transmitting chip-color; B0718-3, Zarevo, and Tollocan for transmitting tuber appearance; and Bzura, Libertas, and Zarevo for transmitting high specific gravity to the highest percentage of the offspring. Overall, 50% and 56% of the clones based on single- and eight-hill generation, respectively, were considered to possess chip-processing quality; over 90% of the clones had acceptable tablestock quality. A total of 71% of the clones possessing acceptable chip-processing and 95% of the clones possessing acceptable tablestock quality selected in both generations were identified in single-hill plots. The evaluation of tuber quality characteristics in single-hill generation not only permitted the identification of clones with acceptable chip-processing and tablestock, but also increased the amount of clonal information for the following generation of selection. In crosses between late blight resistant and susceptible clones, selection for tuber quality traits can be initiated in single-hill generation using a moderate selection intensity and precede late blight testing. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Identification of Genes Controlling Pod Length in Spring Rapeseed, Brassica napus L., and their Utilization for Yield Improvement

Experiments were undertaken to determine the inheritance of pod length in a cross with spring rapesecd, Brassica napus, and to assess the value of pod length as a criterion of selection for high seed yield. Analyses of patterns of variation in F₂; and backcross populations derived from a cross between a short-pod line TB42 and long-pod line CA553 indicated that much of the variation in pod length could be attributed to two major genes interacting in a complementary manner. Short-pods were produced when cither one or both genes were homozygous for the recessive allele. Analyses of F₃ progenies of selected F₂ and inbred-backcross lines derived from the same cross supported the two-gene hypothesis but also indicated that the effects of the major genes on pod length were possibly modified by genes of minor effect. Field testing of families derived from random intermating between F₂, plants of the TB42 × CA553 cross showed that number of pods per plant varied independently of pod length, but seed weight per pod tended to increase with increasing pod length. As a result, families with the longest pods generally had significantly higher yields than those with short pods. It was concluded that yield improvement in B. napus could be achieved through introgression of long-pod genes into cultivars with an appropriate genetic background to ensure that selection for the long-pod character would be accompanied by an increase in seed weight per pod with little or no reduction in number of pods per plant.