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2. A Program for Selecting and Testing Small Grains in Successive Generations Following Hybridization 1
Author(s) -
Love H. H.
Publication year - 1927
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1927.00021962001900080002x
Subject(s) - citation , library science , mathematics , computer science
Hybrids between varieties or species are usually made either for the purpose of studying the genetic and cytological relations or for practical purposes. It is with the latter point in view that this discussion concerns itseK. Naturally, in order to make the most rapid progress in practical plant hybridization, it is very important that the investigator be well acquainted .with the genetic principles involved. To be sure, some valuable practical work has been accomplished without this knowledge, nevertheless, considerable time has been lost by some workers because of the lack of this knowledge. For example, while visiting one of our stations and looking over some wheat hybrids, I asked the one in charge of the project what knowledge he had regarding the inheritance of the several important characters. His answer was that they were not interested in that, but selected the plants approaching their ideal and grew those plants the following year, and so on. At another station one of the workers in charge of cereal improvement was surprised that a plant with white grains carhe from a cross and assumed that a mixture had occurred, when, as a matter of fact, the occurrence could well be expected and does result in this and similar crosses because of duplicate factors for color. These, and other cases that might be cited, indicate the desirability of a knowledge of the genetic principles involved in small grain inheritance. Much time may be saved, since in se)ecting individuals from a lot of hybrids, the plants that are known to be heterozygous would not be selected for seeding another year. Knowledge of the genetic behavior of the several characters will also be of assistance in determining from the appearance of the F1 whether one has a hybrid or whether the plants have come from seeds that have been selfed through faulty technic. In this connection it may be well to suggest that when making the cross the parent chosen for the female be so selected that one can be certain by the appearance of the F1 that a hybrid has been obtained. In wheat, for example, if a cross is to be made between bearded and beardless sorts, it is