Open AccessOnion Trait Heritability and Response from Selection
Author(s) -
Christopher S. Cramer
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of the american society for horticultural science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 2327-9788
pISSN - 0003-1062
DOI - 10.21273/jashs.131.5.646
Subject(s) - heritability , biology , trait , bulb , population , selection (genetic algorithm) , fusarium , horticulture , bolting , root rot , botany , veterinary medicine , genetics , demography , medicine , sociology , computer science , programming language , artificial intelligence
Realized heritability estimates of bolting percentage, pink root and fusarium basal rot severities and incidences, and percentage of single-centered bulbs were estimated for half-sib families of an intermediate-day, open-pollinated onion ( Allium cepa L.) population using selection response analysis. Half-sib families were selected based upon an index that equally weighted bolting percentage, pink root and fusarium basal rot severities and incidences, percentage of single-centered bulbs, and bulb quality. Families were subjected to one cycle of half-sib family recurrent selection. Pink root and fusarium basal rot severity was reduced by 17% and 7%, respectively, with realized heritability estimates of 1.28 and 0.65, respectively. More progress for pink root severity was made than was selected. Disease incidence was reduced by 18% and 12%, respectively, with heritability estimates of 0.65 and 0.60, respectively. Very little progress was made for the percentage of single-centered bulbs and this was reflected in a heritability estimate of 0.17. Selection based upon multiple characters at the same time may reduce the effectiveness of making improvements in a single trait. However even with low to moderate heritability, improvements were made, and suggest that further improvements can be made through selection.