AN EVALUATION OF AN EARLY GENERATION YIELD TESTING PROCEDURE IN <i>TRITICUM AESTIVUM</i>

Abstract

The effectiveness of assessing unreplicated F 3 lines for yield in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cross was determined by the regression and correlation between F 3 lines and related F 4 bulk means, and between F 3 lines and related F 5 family means. The correlation and regression coefficients obtained between F 3 line and F 4 bulk mean yield expressed as a percentage of adjacent control were 0.59** and 0.39**, respectively. The correlation and regression coefficients obtained between F 3 line and F 5 family mean yield expressed as a percentage of control were 0.56* and 0.39*, respectively. By growing a large sample of the progeny of each F 3 genotype adjacent to a control, it was possible to discriminate among F 3 lines for heritable quantitative differences.