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 Rodgers, D. M. Articles by Frey, K. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rodgers, D. M. Articles by Frey, K. J. Agricola Articles by Rodgers, D. M. Articles by Frey, K. J.

Impact of Plant Breeding on the Grain Yield and Genetic Diversity of Spring Oats¹

The genetic relationships among, and grain yields of spring oat (Arena sativa L.) cultivars released in the north central and northeastern USA between 1941 and 1980 were investigated using coefficients of parentage (r) and least squares means (LSM). These parameters were evaluated in two data sets, Early and Midseason, which were based on uniform regional nursery trials conducted between 1944 and 1980. The mean coefficient of parentage () among oat cultivars released within the same 5-year period has oscillated between approximately 0.1 and 0.3 since the mid-1940's in each data set with no apparent long-term positive or negative trend. The level of during 1976–1980 was 0.22 and 0.13 in the Early and Midseason data sets, respectively. The LSM's were used to estimate genotypic value for grain yield of each cultivar tested for 3 or more years. The LSM's of cultivars released within the same 5-year period were averaged (_LSM) and compared with the LSM of ‘Gopher’ (LSM_G), a selection from the 19th century cultivar ‘Kherson’. Increases in _LSM were relatively modest from 1941 to 1975. In the 1971–1975 period, the _LSM's were 116 and 111% of LSM_G for the Early and Midseason data sets, respectively. However, in the 1976–1980 period, a substantial increase in _LSM to 134% of LSM_G was observed in the Early data set indicating a genetic gain during this 5-year period which equaled that of the entire 35-year period prior to 1976. A breakthrough in yield was also suggested in the Midseason data set because two recently released cultivars, ‘Ogle’ and ‘Porter’, had LSM's 130% of LSM_G. The recent large increases in oat grain yield were obtained over a broad base of germplasm. Coefficients of parentage among the five cultivars having LSM's 130% of LSM_G indicated that a minimum of three distinct sources of germplasm with high yield potential was involved.

Key Words: Avena sativa L. • Coefficients of parentage • Genetic gain

² Assistant professor of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506 (formerly predoctoral research associate, Agronomy Dep., Iowa State Univ.); research director, The Agric. Alumni Seed Improvement Assoc., Inc., Romney, IN 47981 (formerly predoctoral research associate, Agronomy Dep., Iowa State Univ.); and C.F. Curtiss Distinguished professor in agriculture, Agronomy Dep., Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011.

Received for publication December 16, 1981.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. T. Phan, Y.-B. Fu, and S. R. Smith Jr. RAPD Variations in Selected and Unselected Blue Grama Populations Crop Sci., September 1, 2003; 43(5): 1852 - 1857. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I.A. del Blanco, S. Rajaram, and W.E. Kronstad Agronomic Potential of Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat-Derived Populations Crop Sci., May 1, 2001; 41(3): 670 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Z. Cui, T. E. Carter Jr., and J. W. Burton Genetic Diversity Patterns in Chinese Soybean Cultivars Based on Coefficient of Parentage Crop Sci., November 1, 2000; 40(6): 1780 - 1793. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]