Inheritance of winterhardiness in roses

Summary Heritability in the broad sense and the distribution of levels of winterkill were analyzed in the offspring from hardy diploid and from hardy, semi-hardy and tender tetraploid roses. The heritabilities for different parental combinations ranged from 51 to 92%.The offspring from crosses of hardy parents were also hardy and showed little variation in hardiness levels. The offspring from crosses of hardy roses with the semi-hardy R. kordesii and the tender Queen Elizabeth survived the winters without coverage but showed a wider variation in hardiness levels.The desirable level of hardiness, an average winterkill of less than 10%, could be achieved through selection in the first or second generation of breeding, depending on the hardiness levels of the parents. The hypothesis is advanced that winterhardiness in roses is controlled by very few or closely linked genetic factors.Contribution No. 557