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Comparison of F₁'S and Inbreds as Female Parents for Hybrid Sorghum Seed Production¹

Nine sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] A-lines and 36 male-sterile F₁'s from A- x B-line crosses were evaluated for hybrid seed production capabilities at Mead, NE, and 1978 and 1979. The F₁'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 F₁'s than for the A-lines for all traits except height, seed density, and heads per plant. Genotypic x environmental interaction variance components, except for height, tended to be less for the F₁'s than for the A-lines.

Mean values of 13 traits measured on the nine groups of eight F₁'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 F₁ groups and their respective A-lines. Genotypic and simple correlations of seeds per head and grain yield were high in both groups.

Use of F₁ 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.

Key Words: Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench • Three-way crosses • Genotypic variance • Genotypic correlations • Seed cost

² Research technician, Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Nebraska, and geneticist, USDA, SEA/AR, Lincoln, NE 68583.

Received for publication December 18, 1980.