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Natural outcrossing rate in Vernonia galamensis
Author(s) -
Baye T.,
Becker H. C.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
plant breeding
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1439-0523
pISSN - 0179-9541
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0523.2004.01001.x
Subject(s) - outcrossing , biology , botany , crop , horticulture , agronomy , pollen
Vernonia galamensis is a potential new industrial crop growing wild in Ethiopia. The seed oil is rich in vernolic acid, an epoxy fatty acid, which is of interest for oleochemical uses. Basic information on the reproductive system of Vernonia is still very limited. The amount of natural outcrossing was estimated at two locations in Ethiopia (Alemaya and Babile) using flower colour as a marker. Single plants with white flowers, which is a monogenic recessive trait, were planted in plots with normal pink flowers and the outcrossing rate was estimated from the frequency of pink‐flowered plants in the progeny of the white‐flowered plants. Estimates of the natural outcrossing rate ranged between individual plants from 3.5 to 16% at Alemaya and 2.5 to 12% at Babile. Vernonia galamensis can be classified as a mainly self‐pollinated species.