The production of inbred lines of brussels sprouts with dominant S-alleles

Summary The best sources of Brussels sprout inbred lines with both good agronomic characters and high self-incompatibility are likely to be cultivars of reasonably good agronomic type which have not been too intensively selected. Comparison of three cultivars of different agronomic quality showed that the cultivars of poor and moderate quality had about 55% of plants with a dominant S-allele, but the most highly selected cultivar had only 25% of such plants. A programme of S-allele screening is suggested which incorporates the minimum number of tests required to determine whether or not a particular plant has a dominant S-allele. A survey of S-alleles present in commercial F₁ hybrids showed that the frequency of dominant S-alleles was only 19% in hybrids released prior to the end of 1971, but was 50% in hybrids released since 1971.     

Selection for high self-incompatibility in inbred lines of brussels sprouts

Summary An attempt to improve the self-incompatibility of an advanced inbred line of Brussels sprouts by selection has been unsuccessful. The apparent plant-to-plant variation in self-incompatibility has little or no genetic basis. It results from environmental effects and from intrinsic physiological differences between flowers on a single plant. A temperature rise from 17°C to 26°C markedly increases the self-compatibility of the lines tested, but no evidence was found for end-of-season compatibility. The best methods for producing inbreds with high and consistent self-incompatibility are discussed.     

The role of pollen and stigma in determining the level of partial self-compatibility in brussels sprouts

Summary Brussels sprouts inbred plants, homozygous for the same recessive S-allele, were intercrossed in all combinations and the number of pollen tubes penetrating the stigmas of such crosses measured. The results of five such experiments showed that pollen as well as stigma is significant in determining the number of pollen tubes counted. It was also found that the capacity of a plant's stigmas to permit pollen tube penetration was independent of the capacity of its pollen to penetrate other plants' stigmas. Variation in pollen tube production between pollens of the plants tested was often greater than that between their stigmas.     

Inbred lines with dominant incompatibility alleles for use as parents of F1 hybrid brussels sprouts

Summary To improve the chances of obtaining highly self-incompatible inbred lines for use as parents of F₁ hybrid Brussels sprouts and to extend the range of mutually cross-compatible combinations available, new inbred lines are being produced from plants selected for the presence of dominant S-alleles. The material comprises 42 different inbred families representing 15 cultivars and contains 12 dominant S-alleles of uncommon occurrence in Brussels sprouts. Data on S-allele interactions in the material are presented.Tests showed that whilst many of the parent plants containing dominant S-alleles were highly self-incompatible, a few had only weak self-incompatibility. Although the chances of obtaining strongly self-incompatible inbreds may be increased by using material with dominant S-alleles, it remains necessary to test and select for strong self-incompatibility during the breeding programme.Production of such inbred lines requires the application of two independent selection procedures, one for agronomic type and one for S-allele constitution. Only a small proportion of the plants of a parent cultivar are acceptable on both counts. Thus large populations of the cultivar and large numbers of selections are necessary: this in turn involves much expensive S-allele screening. To alleviate this problem a wide-based panmix containing only dominant S-alleles is being produced. It is hoped that from this it will be possible to extract inbred lines which carry only dominant S-alleles, so avoiding the need to screen each parent plant for its S-allele content.     

Comparative responses of botanical varieties ofBrassica oleracea L. (brussels sprouts,sprouting broccoli and marrow stem kale) to inbreeding and hybridisation

Summary The effects of inbreeding and hybridisation inBrassica oleracea L. were studied in diallel crosses within four varieties of Brussels sprouts three varieties of sprouting broccoli and one kale variety. In addition to each intra-varietal diallel within the two horticultural brassicas, plants of one of the other varieties were also included so that the first diallel analysis could be compared with an intra-plus-intervarietal analysis.In general it was found that the total harvest yield of cultivars of the two horticultural types was controlled by an additive genetic system while whole plant weight of all three brassicas was subject to gene interaction. Selfing for one generation reduced the mean harvest yield of Brussels sprout and sprouting broccoli by 26 and 3%, respectively, compared with their intravarietal F₁'s, while whole plant weight of Brussels sprouts, sprouting broccoli and marrow-stem kale was reduced by 21, 26 and 44%, respectively.Kale plants exhibited significant correlations of plant height with plant yield in 2 years and it is therefore possible to achieve some improvement in yield by selecting for height alone.It was postulated that in kale the greatest yield increases should be obtained by the production of hybrids, but hybridisation with subsequent selection is probably sufficient to increase the yield of the two horticultural brassicas still further.     

Classification of S-alleles by their activity in S-heterozygotes of brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. Gemmifera (DC.) Schultz)

Summary Over a period of many years, data on dominance relationships of S-alleles in Brussels sprouts were collected at URL and IVT. The level of activity of S-alleles in heterozygotes was assessed on the basis of the number of pollen tubes that penetrated into the stigma. 209 out of 210 possible combinations between 21 S-alleles were used for this investigation. The S-alleles were grouped separately for activity in pollen and style on the basis of their sensitivity to lose activity in S-heterozygotes. Besides S-allele interaction per se, activity was found to be influenced by environment and genetic background.Results suggest that in stigma, co-dominance is the normal pattern and that deviations are caused by factors other than S-allele interaction as such.In pollen, only three truly recessive alleles were found. Besides several combinations with mutual weakening in pollen, examples of independent weakening were found.     

脯氨酸与植物抗寒性的研究进展

脯氨酸是植物体内普遍存在的保护物质.作为一种有机溶剂,许多植物在低温胁迫下,体内的游离脯氨酸含量都增加.脯氨酸对植物抗寒的作用机理主要是:作为渗透调节物质、保护蛋白质分子、作为活性氧的清除剂、低温胁迫结束后可作为能源物质(或碳源)和氮源.笔者主要综述了低温胁迫下植物体内脯氨酸代谢的调节,脯氨酸积累作为抗寒指标的应用,转化脯氨酸代谢相关基因提高植物抗寒力方面取得的进展,以及脯氨酸类似物在抗寒育种中的作用.     

Relationship between cold resistance,heading traits and ear primordia development of wheat cultivars

Summary For breeding early heading wheat cultivars with resistance to frost damage which are well adapted to dry areas of West Asia and North Africa, the relationships between winter hardiness, ear primordia development and heading traits, i.e. veernalization requirement, photoperiodic response and narrow-sense earliness, were assessed using a total of 30 genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in an experiment in Syria. The results of artificial freezing tests indicated that cultivars with good winter hardiness were to be found only in the winter wheat cultivars which required 50 or more days of vernalization treatment. These winter wheat cultivars did not initiate internode elongation without vernalization even at 95 days after planting. Thus their ear primordia were still underground and were protected from frost injury at this stage. Photoperiodic response and narrow-sense earliness were not associated with winter hardiness and earliness of internode elongation, but were related to the number of days to heading after planting. This indicated the possibility for breeding early heading cultivars with winter hardiness and tiller frost avoidance by combining high vernalization requirement, short narrow-sense earliness and neutral response to photoperiod.     

"秋风"频发地区杂交水稻抗寒性品种(组合)的鉴选

针对近年来秋风发生频繁,造成杂交水稻大面积减产,选用推广抗寒性强的品种(组合)、确保用种安全是实现高产稳产的重要途径.本文通过对引进的杂交水稻新品种及当前生产上主栽品种(组合)的抗寒性进行鉴定,结果表明金优431、黔优18、Ⅱ优838、汕优联合2号等耐寒性强,适于秋风频发地区品种布局中选用.     

Heterosis and combining ability for yield and resistance to grain mold in tannin-free photoperiod-insensitive sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] in Senegal

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Increasing sorghum production per unit area in the farmer’s field by developing high yielding tannin-free and grain mold tolerant varieties in...     

Heterosis for leaf photosynthesis,grain yield and yield components in maize

Summary One of the primary avenues of improving the biological efficiency of crop plants is through the improvement of the leaf and canopy photosynthetic rates. However, the question whether the superiority of hybrids in respect of productivity potential could be traced, in retrospective fashion, to the photosynthetic parameters should be answered first. Once established and standardized, such indices could be streamlined in innovative breeding to predict the heterotic combinations for final yield formation. To answer this question, the photosynthetic rate and other components of photosynthetic efficiency were monitored among eight inbred stocks of maize (selected for variable photosynthetic rate from a previous study) and their all possible one-way crosses. The results demonstrated extensive heterosis in respect of photosynthetic rate and other photosynthetic indices which, in turn, was also realized in terms of higher biomass productivity and yield. Nonetheless, high leaf photosynthesis alone did not result in higher grain yield. On the contrary, component interaction among the photosynthetic indices like photosynthetic rate, leaf area/plant, number of leaves and chlorophyll content on one hand and the complementary gene action on the other, could be held responsible for higher yields in hybrids. Since the components of photosynthetic efficiency can predict heterosis for biomass and grain yield upto a reasonable extent, judicious incorporation of such indices in selection parameters for applied genetic protocols can add yet another dimension to the strategies for future yield improvements.     

Heterosis in Primary Hexaploid Triticale with Heterozygous Wheat or Rye Genome*)

Twelve primary hexaploid triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack), synthesized from, three lines of tetraploid wheat (Triticum durum L., T. turgidum L.) and four inbred lines of rye (Secale cereale L.), were used to produce 18 crosses with homozygous wheat and heterozygous rye genome and 12 crosses with heterozygous wheat and homozygous rye genome. Parents and crosses of triticale, wheat, and rye were tested for two years (rye for one year only) in two-replicate block designs with 1 m²-plots. Data were assessed for plant height, grain yield and for yield-related traits. Performance of triticale crosses was considerably lower than that of the wheat and rye crosses. The amount of heterosis varied greatly between years. Positive and mainly significant heterosis was revealed in triticale generations F₁ and F₂. The average values were closer to those in wheat than to those in rye. For most characters a high level of heterosis was retained in tnucalt1 generation F₂. Heterozygosity of the wheat and rye genome both contributed to heterosis in triticale. However, gene action of the rye genome strongly depended on the homozygous wheat background: one wheat line almost completely suppressed and another greatly stimulated the heterotic effect of the rye genome. In the later case, the amount of heterosis was related to that in rye per se. Information from hybrid rye breeding may therefore be used when establishing gene pools for hybrid breeding in triticale.     

Shoot production in cut roses with reference to breeding for winter flowering

Summary In 62 clones of cut roses the numbers of flowering and blind shoots were recorded from February 1975 to January 1976. On average about 25 shoots were harvested per plant, of which 27% were blind. No significant correlation was found between the average numbers of flowering and blind shoots. Progenitors for winter flowering roses should be selected among clones that combine a constant total shoot production with a low percentage of blind shoots.     

Increasing colchicine effectiveness in woody plants with special reference to fruit crops

In this paper the authors deal with a simple method designed to be more successful at attempts made to induce polyploidy in fruit trees. The application of partial etiolation before colchicine treatment and the addition of gibberellic acid to the colchicine solution, considerably increased the number of mixoploid shoots in grapes. The influence of these two factors seem to be due te more cell elongation and cell division, the former promoting better permeability to colchicine and the latter accelerating faster cell division of the treated tissues.Samenvatting Een eenvoudige methode, welke aan pogingen om bij fruitgewassen polyploidie te verkrijgen een grotere kans op succes biedt, wordt in dit artikel besproken. Door jonge spruiten, voorafgaand aan een behandeling met colchicine, te etioleren en door aan de colchicine-oplossing gibberellazzur toe te voegen, kon bij de druif het aantal mixoploide scheuten aanzienlijk vergroot worden. Het effect van beide factoren schijnt te berusten op cen bevordering zowel van de celstrekking als van de celdeling; het eerstgenoemde verschijnsel zou leiden tot een grotere permeabiliteit van de cellen voor colchicine, het laatstgenoemde tot een snellere celdeling in de behandelde weefsels.     

Heterosis and inheritance of drought tolerance in faba bean, Vicia faba L.

Twelve parental lines of faba beans and 27 F₁ hybrids derived from them were field-tested under a dry and a well-watered treatment, at two German locations (Göttingen, Hohenheim) in two years (1995, 1996). Drought was artificially induced using rain shelters from anthesis until maturity. Data were collected on yield under dry (Yd) and well-watered (Yw) conditions. Drought tolerance was assessed as Yd/Yw. The mid-parent heterosis was significant for Yd and Yw, but not for Yd/Yw. Relative heterosis for Yd (52.0%) was greater than for Yw (39.3%). Parental heritability was greater for Yw (0.86) than for Yd (0.61). However, it was similar for both traits in F₁ hybrids (0.65 and 0.66). Principal component analysis showed that F₁ hybrids exhibited the same pattern of adaptation as their parents. The heritability of drought tolerance was 0.48 in F₁ hybrids and 0.70 in parents. Attention should be paid to its negative correlation with yield. Several hybrids combined high tolerance, a favourable pattern of adaptation and appropriate performance.     

Pachytene chromosome morphology with reference to sex instability in Ricinus communis L.

Summary The morphology of the pachytene chromosomes of Ricinus communis L. (2n=20), the castor plant, was examined and compared, using light microscopy, in two sex forms, one having an apical distribution of pistillate flowers (wild type), the other having a uniform distribution of pistillate flowers (mutant). Nonreverted mutants resulting from sex instability of the wild type did not display microscopically discernable alterations in chromosome morphology.     

茄子黄萎病抗性的杂种优势及遗传

选取 6份对黄萎病具有抗感差异的茄子材料 ,利用半双列杂交第 2种设计方法配制组合 ,调查人工灌根后的抗病指数。结果表明 :茄子对黄萎病的抗性存在一定的杂种优势 ,F1与双亲均值有很强的相关性 ;抗性遗传不符合“加性—显性”模型 ,且至少受 2对显性基因组控制     

Genotypic resistance in sorghum to head bug,Calocoris angustatus Lethiery

Summary Sorghum head bug, Calocoris angustatus Leth., is an important pest of grain sorghum. We screened nearly 15000 germplasm accessions for resistance to this pest between 1980 and 1990 under natural and headcage conditions. Data were recorded on bug numbers, grain damage (1 = highly resistant the 5 = highly susceptible), and seed germination. Under natural conditions, 34 genotypes suffered moderate levels of grain damage (damage rating (DR) 1.7 to 2.9) compared with a DR of 4.0 to 4.6 in the susceptible controls CSH 1, CSH 5 and CSH 9. IS 17610, IS 17645, IS 21444, IS 19948, IS 25069 and IS 19949 suffered a DR of less than three, and harbored less than 150 bugs/panicle compared with a DR of 4.3 to 4.7, and 248 to 353 bugs/panicle in the susceptible controls CSH 1, CSH 5 and CSH 9 when infested under headcage with 5 pairs of bugs/panicle. IS 18274, IS 20664, IS 20059, IS 25069, and IS 19951 had 150 to 300 bugs/panicle but suffered moderate levels of grain damage (DR less than 3), while the reverse was true in case of IS 8064, IS 19455, IS 19955, IS 20024, IS 20740, IS 23627, IS 2761, and IS 9692. During the 1989 rainy season, IS 14108, IS 17610, IS 17618, IS 17645, IS 19949, IS 19950, IS 19957, IS 20068, IS 25760, IS 27452, IS 27477 and IS 27329 suffered moderate levels of grain damage when infested with 5 and 10 pairs of bugs/panicle, and recorded more than 80% seed germination compared with a DR of 3.9 to 5.0, and seed germination of 15–18% in the susceptible controls CSH 1, CSH 5 and CSH 9. There is a considerable diversity in the genotypes resistant to head bugs, and attempts should be made to transfer the resistance into agronomically acceptable cultivars.     

Carbon dioxide treatment as an effective aid to the production of selfed seed in kale and Brussels sprouts

Summary The use of carbon dioxide to overcome the self-incompatibility mechanisms in marrow-stem kale and Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea L.) is discussed. Results are presented to show the effectiveness of the treatment, and a method is described of applying it as a routine procedure for the production of selfed seed in quantily.