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Expected and Actual Gains in Economic Value of Oat Lines from Five Selection Methods¹

Grain and straw are the two marketable products of the oat (Avena sativa L.) crop in the midwestern United States. Five methods of selection for increasing economic value of the crop and its two component traits, grain and straw yield, were compared in a population of F₉, derived lines of oats. The five methods were: (a) selection for increased grain yield; (b) selection for increased straw yield; (c) a selection index calculated to maximize expected genetic gain in economic value; (d) a base selection index, where the traits were weighted by their relative economic values/gram; and (e) a procedure of independent culling levels. Expected gains from selection were computed by use of data from three test sites individually and means of the three sites for 1 year, and actual selection gains were computed with data from the same sites in a second year. Two selection intensities, 10 and 25%, were used and the methods were compared in terms of expected and actual gains.

Selection for one trait only, was superior for improving that trait, but the indexes and method of independent culling levels tended to be superior for improving overall economic value. The superiority of the latter methods was most evident when means across sites were used.

For selecting lines with superior economic values, the base index, (d) above, was preferred because of its simplicity, freedom from need for estimating population parameters, and the equivalency of grains from this method.

Key Words: Selection indexes • Independent culling levels • Grain yield • Straw yield

² Graduate Research Assistant and C. F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture, respectively.

Received for publication June 22, 1974.