QUANTITATIVE GENETIC STUDIES IN A RECURRENT SELECTION PROGRAM IN APPLE

Combining ability was estimated for 8 tree and 11 agronomic traits in a multi-location apple breeding population to select individuals for the next cycle of selections.
Families more than three standard deviations away from the general mean were identified for each trait and extreme individuals (with regard to that trait) from those families were selected.
On the whole, 148 individuals were chosen based upon individual traits and, in a few cases a combination of traits, in a way that maintains the original diversity within the population.
Narrow-sense heritability estimated separately for each site for fruit overcolour amount, fruit russet and fruit weight ranged from 0.36-0.48, 0.03-0.51, and 1.30 to 1.42 respectively.
Additive genetic correlation and phenotypic correlation were small to moderate between the traits.
The implication of these genetic parameter estimates in apple breeding is discussed.

Eucarpia symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

N.C. Oraguzie, M.E. Hofstee, P.A. Alspach, L.R. Brewer, C. Howard

apple, agronomic traits, heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlation

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.538.31