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Comparison of F 1 's and Inbreds as Female Parents for Hybrid Sorghum Seed Production 1
Author(s) -
Hookstra G. H.,
Ross W. M.
Publication year - 1982
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/cropsci1982.0011183x002200010034x
Subject(s) - biology , hybrid , sorghum , threshing , sorghum bicolor , hybrid seed , agronomy , gene–environment interaction , horticulture , genotype , botany , gene , biochemistry
Nine sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] A‐lines and 36 male‐sterile F 1 's from A‐ × B‐line crosses were evaluated for hybrid seed production capabilities at Mead, NE, and 1978 and 1979. The F 1 's significantly outyielded component A‐lines by 54% with the differential attributable to increases in seeds per head (52%), heads per plant (3%), and threshing percentage (7%). Genotypic variances were less for the F 1 's than for the A‐lines for all traits except height, seed density, and heads per plant. Genotypic × environmental interaction variance components, except for height, tended to be less for the F 1 's than for the A‐lines. Mean values of 13 traits measured on the nine groups of eight F 1 's were compared with their respective A‐lines. Each Ft group outyielded its common A‐line component with seeds per head contributing most to that advantage. Other characters relating directly to seed parent yield showed no great differences between F 1 groups and their respective A‐lines. Genotypic and simple correlations of seeds per head and grain yield were high in both groups. Use of F 1 female parents in hybrids can reduce production costs to the seed producer and seed costs to the farmer if acceptable, high performing hybrids are identified.