HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Allen, F. L. Articles by Rasmusson, D. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Allen, F. L. Articles by Rasmusson, D. C. Agricola Articles by Allen, F. L. Articles by Rasmusson, D. C.

Optimal Environments for Yield Testing¹

This research was undertaken to obtain information about the type of yield trial environment that will foster maximum progress from selection. Theory and parameter estimates from five crops that are relevant to the question of the optimum nursery environment for yield testing are reported. The five crop species were barley, Hordeum vulgare L.; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.; oats, Avena sativa L.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.; and flax, Linum usitatissimum L. Analyses of variance of yield data (a separate analysis for each year and location) reconstructed from information in the annual reports of Uniform Nursery Trials were the sources of our parameter estimates. We defined y as the value of a genotype relative to a test environment, y as the value of a genotype relative to the entire population of environments in which a selected genotype would be used, and H as ²_y/(²_y + ²_e/n) where ²_y is the variance of y, ²_e, is plot error variance and n is the number of replications in the field trial comparison used as the basis for selection. We then found the proper measure of test environment value to be rH where r is the correlation between y and y. This is because rH reflects genotype x environment interaction as well as x²_e and n, appropriately. The single environment variance analyses available to us provided estimates of x²_y and x²_e but not of r. In general, both x²_y and x²_e were larger when the nursery yield level was higher. Estimates of H from the data of low, intermediate and high yielding trials were not greatly different. The indicated advantage (given n = 3) of favorable (high yield) environments over intermediate environments were 4% and 7% for wheat and soybeans, respectively, but in the case of barley, oats and flax, there were no indications that high yield environments were superior. Our results indicate that if any class of environments is eventually established as substantially superior for testing purposes, it will be because the correlation between y and y is comparatively high for that class of environments.

Key Words: Avena sativa L. • Glycine max (L.) Merr. • Hordeum vulgare L. • Triticum aestivum L. • Linum ustitatissimum L. • Selection • Genotype x environment interaction

² Former research assistant, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota (now assistant professor, Plant and Soil Science, Univ. of Tennessee. Knoxville, TN 37901) and professors, Dep. of Genetics and Cell Biology and Agronomy and Plant Genetics, respectively, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul.

Received for publication November 30, 1977.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. L. Roozeboom, W. T. Schapaugh, M. R. Tuinstra, R. L. Vanderlip, and G. A. Milliken Testing Wheat in Variable Environments: Genotype, Environment, Interaction Effects, and Grouping Test Locations Crop Sci., January 16, 2008; 48(1): 317 - 330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Mishra, P. S. Baenziger, W. K. Russell, R. A. Graybosch, D. D. Baltensperger, and K. M. Eskridge Crossover Interactions for Grain Yield in Multienvironmental Trials of Winter Wheat Crop Sci., April 25, 2006; 46(3): 1291 - 1298. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. C. Helms and J. J. Hammond Genetic Gain Equation with Correlated Genotype x Environment Effects Crop Sci., March 27, 2006; 46(3): 1137 - 1142. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. R. Guillen-Portal, W. K. Russell, K. M. Eskridge, D. D. Baltensperger, L. A. Nelson, N. E. D'Croz-Mason, and B. E. Johnson Selection Environments for Maize in the U.S. Western High Plains Crop Sci., September 1, 2004; 44(5): 1519 - 1526. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]