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Natural Selection for Cold Resistance in Winter Oat Bulk Populations 1
Author(s) -
Marshall H. G
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1966.0011183x000600020019x
Subject(s) - biology , selection (genetic algorithm) , cold stress , resistance (ecology) , cold tolerance , zoology , population , natural selection , agronomy , botany , demography , genetics , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science , gene
The effect of 3 consecutive years of severe natural selection pressure on the cold resistance of 23 different winter oat bulk populations during the F 3 , F 4 , and F 5 generations was determined. Controlled freezing tests with remnant seed from these generations and the F 2 , which was not subjected to winter stress, demonstrated that natural selection caused a significant increase in cold resistance each year when averaged over all populations. The total change in cold resistance during the three generations was significant for 17 of the 23 populations, and the amount of change was negatively correlated with the initial level of cold resistance. Although the amounts of winterkilling in individual plots were not consistent with the changes in cold resistance, the totals over the 3 years for these characteristics were positively correlated. The correlation coefficients between survivals of the various generations were all significant. It was concluded that natural selection increased cold resistance when the initial survival value of a population was low in response to the selection pressure for winter survival. Although F 3 cold resistance provided a relatively accurate prediction of F 6 performance, the low populations had the greatest potential for change under the selection pressures which prevailed.