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Heterosis in Flue‐Cured Tobacco and Its Utility in Predicting Transgressive Segregation within Derived Populations of Inbred Lines
Author(s) -
Dexter-Boone Abigail,
Lewis Ramsey S.
Publication year - 2019
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/cropsci2018.08.0486
Subject(s) - heterosis , diallel cross , biology , hybrid , inbred strain , transgressive segregation , nicotiana tabacum , heterotic string theory , genetics , transgressive , complementation , microbiology and biotechnology , agronomy , quantitative trait locus , mathematics , phenotype , gene , paleontology , sedimentary depositional environment , structural basin , mathematical physics
Heterosis might be used in a strategic way to increase yields of flue‐cured tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.), but previous reports have suggested levels of heterosis to be low for F 1 hybrids of this market class. Based on analysis of a 14‐parent diallel, we found average levels of F 1 midparent heterosis to be 10.3%, a level that is substantially higher than previous estimates from the 1960s. Thirteen of ninety‐one tested hybrids significantly outyielded the highest yielding parental lines. Heterosis might also be an indicator of superior allelic complementation by parental lines that, in principle, could be fixed in derived inbred lines. We compared F 3:4 families derived from three high heterotic crosses and three low heterotic crosses and observed positive correlations between F 1 heterosis and desirable transgressive segregation. Hence, the data support the use of F 1 heterosis as a predictor of breeding crosses with increased potential for desired outcomes. Several derived F 3:4 families exhibited yields that were comparable with, or significantly better than, corresponding heterotic F 1 hybrids, indicating that heterotic effects could be fixed within inbred lines. Results suggest a reconsideration of heterosis for increasing yields of flue‐cured tobacco.