EFFECTS OF SELECTION FOR F₂ PLANT YIELD ON SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS IN WHEAT

Abstract

The F 2 plants from eight wheat crosses were accurately spaced in a uniform block of land. The F 3 lines from selected and unselected F 2 plants were yield tested. Although selection had a statistically significant effect, the effect was not large enough to be of value in wheat breeding. The results suggest that to be effective yield testing must be done on plots rather than individual plants. Expressing the yield of F 3 lines as either a percentage of adjacent checks or as a percentage of a moving average increased the efficiency of the test.