GENETIC VARIATION IN SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT AND SUBSEQUENT ROOT SIZE VARIATION IN CARROTS

During 1975, 226 F₃ families from a Chantenay x Autumn King cross were screened for emergence properties at three temperatures in the laboratory.
Differences between families were found in percentage germination, time to 50% emergence and standard deviation of emergence.
Evidence suggested that some of these differences might be genetic in origin.
In 1976, 56 of the F₃ families, chosen for contrasting laboratory emergence properties, were compared in field trials at three sowing dates.
Results showed that for two of the three sowing dates differences between families in field emergence parameters were correlated with corresponding differences in laboratory emergence.

Attempts were also made to relate the size distribution of the harvested roots with the various emergence parameters.
A measure of size distribution uncorrelated with mean root diameter was sought but not found and attempts to use coefficient of variation and standard deviation of root diameter as measures of root uniformity to relate with emergence parameters became difficult to interpret.

Symposium on the Timing of Field vegetable Production

B.D. Dowker

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1978.72.5