CRITERIA FOR EARLY SELECTION IN TULIP BREEDING

The long breeding cycle and slow propagation of tulips (Tulipa spp.) seriously impede breeding progress.
Therefore the Institute’s research programme is primarily aimed at the development of efficient methods of pre-selection for such characteristics as bulb production, forcing ability and disease resistance.

Comparison between small bulblets of well-known varieties and adult bulbs of the same varieties has led to provisional criteria for early selection which are being tested in seedling populations.
For the bulb production character this has already led to practical results.
The annual increase of main bulb diameter together with the offset number during the last year of the juvenile phase have proved to be efficient pre-selection criteria for bulb production.
Early selection for production had no adverse effect on forcing ability.
With regard to the pre-selection for this character, the combined use of the date of emergence and date of dying down of the leaf appeared promising.
Small and adult bulbs of well-known cultivars showed a corresponding susceptibility to Fusarium oxysporum.
This opens up prospects of early selection for resistance to Fusarium in seedling populations.

II International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

J.P. van Eijk, J. Leegwater

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1975.47.28