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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144782
Title: COMPARISON OF S1 WITH OPEN-POLLINATION PROGENIES IN SELECTION FOR YIELD IN CRESTED WHEATGRASS

Author
item Berdahl, John
item RAY, IAN - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2003
Publication Date: 5/31/2004
Citation: Berdahl, J.D., Ray, I.M. 2004. Comparison of S1 with open-pollination progenies in selection for yield in crested wheatgrass. Crop Science. 44:768-771.

Interpretive Summary: Progress from selection for increased forage yield of most cross-pollinated forage grass species has been modest, despite long-term efforts of different forage breeding projects. Inbreeding has been used successfully in corn and several other cross-pollinated species to help identify superior parents, but this procedure has had very limited use in breeding forage grasses. Twenty plants from three distinct crested wheatgrass populations were self-pollinated and outcrossed with other plants. Offspring from self-pollinated and outcrossed plants were equally effective in identifying superior parents for experimental strains. This information adds to our knowledge of crested wheatgrass genetics and is critical in choosing efficient breeding methods for this species.

Technical Abstract: Genetic gain from selection for high dry matter yield in most cross-pollinated forage grasses has been an elusive goal, in spite of sustained breeding efforts. This study was conducted to determine the value of one generation of selfing (S1) prior to selection for yield in crested wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.). Dry matter yields were compared at two locations near Mandan, ND for synthetic populations derived from selection among and within S1 and open-pollination (OP) progenies that traced to 20 common maternal parents within each of three source populations. Soil was a Parshall fine sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls) at Location 1 and a Wilton silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls) at Location 2. In space-plant tests, S1 family means for dry matter yield averaged 52% of OP family means, indicating high levels of inbreeding depression. In solid-seeded tests, yield differences from comparisons of S1- and OP-derived synthetic populations were significant (P=0.05) in only one instance, and only at one test location. Based on three distinct source populations, we found that S1 and OP families were equally effective when used as the selection unit to choose high yielding parents for synthetic populations. Additional resources required to produce and evaluate S1 families over OP families could not be justified using the crested wheatgrass source populations in this study.