Five winter wheat cultivars and their diallel crosses were evaluated for plant height, harvest index, deading-maturity duration, the components of yield, (spikes per plant, spikelets per spike, kernel weight and kernels per spikelet)and total plant yield. Two diverse locations, Moro, a dryland site (250 mm annually) located in central Oregon and the Hyslop Agronomy Farm, a high rainfall site (over 1000 mm annually) located in the Willamette Valley, were utilized for one and two cropping seasons, respectively. Three rates of seeding were used as main plots in a split-plot design that was replicated four times. A modified blend method of seeding was used to simulate solid seeding conditions. Experimental seeds were planted 30.5 centimeters apart within the row over a filler cultivar in equally spaced (30.5 centimeters) rows. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance, Griffing's diallel analysis (Method 4, Model 1), correlation, path-coefficient analysis and by parent progeny regression. The correlation between grain yield, its components, harvest index, maturity-duration and plant height was dependent on the particula. r environment of the test. The re waspoorcorrelationbetween yield, tiller number and seed size under all the conditions of these studies. Negative associations between the components of yield indicated the sequential compensatory behavior of these characters under all environments. It would be very hard to select for large grain and short stature wheat because of the positive correlation between plant height and seed size within this population. The low correlations of yield with tiller number and seed size were mainly caused by indirect negative effects through one or more of the other yield components. Harvest index, maturity-duration and plant height had very small direct or indirect influences on grain yield. It was concluded that maximum yield would be obtained from a plant type which produces enough tillers to cover a particular unit of field area with large, fertile spikes, having medium to large kernels and semi-dwarf stature. No significant differences existed between parents and single crosses in the expression of the yield components. Nevertheless, hybrids outyielded their parents in grain yield and demonstrated that heterosis for complex traits was a consequence of multiplicative relationships among the components of these traits. Significant interactions between the genotypes and locations, seeding rates and years were observed in the expression of all characters studied. These interactions indicated that using data from non-competitive conditions to assess performance under competitive conditions could not be justified. Also, limiting the number of testing sites may lead to unsound generalizations and erroneous recommendations regarding gene action estimates of yield and the components of grain yield and three associated characters. Under non-competitive conditions, estimates of the additive type of gene action were more significant and contributed larger effects than the non-additive type for all traits. As competition increased at higher seeding rates, the effects of specific combining ability became more important in the expression of yield, number of spikes, spikelets per spike, and plant height. Heritability estimates confirmed these results except for yield. Of the agronomic characters, harvest index, maturity-duration and plant height, only harvest index showed some promise as a selection criterion under noncompetitive conditions. A breeding procedure utilizing the component approach consisted of selecting early generations under spaced planting with emphasis on avoiding extreme values in any of the components of yield. The balanced combinations of the components of yield should be tested under solid seeding conditions.

This investigation was motivated by the apparent increase in genetic variability resulting from the systematic combining of gene pools represented by winter and spring types of wheats. It was the objective of this study to provide information regarding the nature of this genetic variability for nine agronomic characters in populations resulting from winter x spring crosses. Evaluations were made for: 1) the amount of total genetic variability; 2) the nature of the gene action making up this genetic variability using parent-progeny regression and combining ability analysis and 3) possible direct and indirect associations for traits which influence grain yield. Experimental populations which involved parents, Fl, F2 and backcross generations were grown at two locations where a spring and a winter environment could be utilized. At the winter site, the research was evaluated over a two year period. When the two experimental sites were compared, greater genetic diversity was observed at the spring site for maturity date, plant height, tillers per plant, kernel weight and grain yield. At the winter site, heading date, grain filling period, harvest index and kernels per spike were found to have more total genetic variation. From the expected mean square values, it would appear that the winter parents contributed more to the total genetic variation for most traits measured at both locations. A large genotype-location interaction was also noted suggesting that estimates of gene action and selection for adapted plant types can be done only at the specific winter or spring site. A large portion of the total genetic variation controlling the traits measured was due to additive gene action. However, at the winter site there was also a large influence of non-additive gene action associated with heading date, plant height, harvest index, tillers per plant, kernel weight, kernels per spike and grain yield. Of special interest was that at the winter site the most promising parental combinations could be predicted based on the general combining ability effects of the individual cultivars for each trait studied. Such data were not available for the spring site. Consistent and high correlations were observed between tillers per plant, kernels per spike and, to a lesser extent, kernel weight and grain yield at the winter location. Some negative associations were observed at the spring location between these traits and grain yield suggesting that yield component compensations were involved in the final expression of grain yield. The other characters measured did not reflect significant correlations with yield. When the correlation values were considered in terms of direct and indirect effects for specific traits, a large direct effect was noted for the three components and grain yield. The other traits exhibited small or no direct effects on grain yield but did have a slight influence on grain yield through tillers per plant, kernels per spike or kernel weight.

The objective of this study was to compare three genetically different groups of winter wheat for their grain yield. Experimental material consisted of parental lines grown in pure stands, hybrids, and 1:1 mixtures of the parental combinations. Three sites were employed to evaluate possible interactions between the different groups across locations. Phenotypic correlations among selected agronomic traits and grain yield within each group along with the expression of heterosis and heterobeltiosis in the hybrids were studied. Results of this investigation support the general conclusion reached by other investigators that hybrids and composites are not consistently superior to the best conventional cultivars of wheat for grain yield. However, at the Moro site, with the greater environmental stresses, some hybrids and composites appeared to yield more than the parental lines grown in pure stands. At Pendleton, the best environment for yield expression, the hybrids and conventional cultivars did not differ for grain yield. At this location, the best hybrids and one composite did significantly outyield the commercial cultivars Stephens, Malcolm and Hill, but not four advanced parental selections when grown in pure stands. Low to moderate values of heterosis and heterobeltiosis for grain yield were found. The degree of expression being affected by the specific growing site. Plant height and the number of kernels per spike showed relatively higher values for heterosis and heterobeltiosis over locations when compared to the other traits. Phenotypic correlations suggested that a breeding program to develop hybrid wheat should combine high number of kernels per spike with high kernel weight. The positive correlation between grain yield and plant height indicated that increases in grain yield could be obtained by increasing plant height if lodging did not present a problem.

Includes abstracts of the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy; Soil Science Society of America; Crop Science Society of America ( - of its Agronomic Education Division).

This study was undertaken to see if a method of handling segregating populations could be employed which combined the positive attributes of the traditional pedigree and-bulk methods. Derived F5 lines from the pedigree, bulk, and what is identified as a modified bulk method, were obtained from three winter wheat crosses. The effectiveness of the methods, representing different cycles of phenotypic selection, were evaluated in terms of plant height, plant ideotype and indirectly kernel weight and grain yield. To assess differences in levels of heterogeneity in relation to possible line x environment interactions, the material was grown at three diverse experimental sites. The modified bulk method was as effective as the pedigree method in establishing the desired semi-dwarf height level. Due to the competitive advantage of taller plants, dwarf and semi-dwarf height levels were eliminated in the unselected populations resulting from the bulk method. Although differences were observed for kernel weight between methods, no consistent trends for this trait were established when crosses and locations were considered. Based on the combined mean values of the F5 lines for each method across and within locations, the modified bulk method was superior for grain yield in only one cross. However, when individual F5 lines were compared, a higher percentage of lines obtained from the modified bulk method were superior across and within locations in two of the crosses. Data from this study suggests that to reduce the variety x environment interaction it is important to maintain a level of genetic heterogeneity within varieties. The modified bulk method does appear to be an efficient compromise in handling segregating populations when compared to the traditional pedigree and bulk methods. It is also more efficient in terms of maximizing limited resources which can be important in developing countries where funds and trained scientist are limited.