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The effect of the weight of the seedling‐derived tuber on subsequent clonal generations in a potato breeding programme
Author(s) -
BROWN J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1988.tb03283.x
Subject(s) - biology , seedling , clonal selection , horticulture , genetic gain , yield (engineering) , first generation , selection (genetic algorithm) , agronomy , botany , genetic variation , population , genetics , gene , materials science , metallurgy , immunology , demography , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science
SUMMARY Two experiments are reported. In the first, the weight of seed tuber planted in the first clonal year was examined in relation to clonal performance in the first three clonal generations. The weight of seed tuber planted in first clonal year influenced breeders' preference scores and yield characteristics in the first, second and third clonal generations thus suggesting that size of tuber produced by seedlings is in part genetically controlled. The relationship between weight of seed tuber produced by seedlings and clonal performance was, however, reduced with increasing generations from true seed. In the second experiment, the size of seed tubers produced was manipulated by growing seedlings in different sized pots. When seedlings were grown in small pots (2.5 cm) first‐clonal‐year plants produced low yields of small tubers. In contrast, when larger pots were used to raise seedlings, first‐clonal‐year genotypes gave higher yields and were given greater preference scores. Hence, performance of genotypes in the first clonal year was dependent on the size of pot used to raise seedlings. After the first clonal generation however, clonal performance was not influenced by the size of pot used at the seedling stage. The overall conclusion was that, although the size of tuber produced by seedlings had a genetic component, the largest effect of seed tuber size used in the first clonal year was non‐genetic and would adversely influence efficiency of selection for yield, yield components and breeders' preference in the early generations of a potato breeding programme.