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The plant size and the spine characteristics of the first generation progeny obtained through the cross-pollination of different genotypes of Cactaceae

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Abstract

The main characteristics (plant diameter, number of spine/areoles and length of spines) of 16 cactus hybrids were analysed and the genetic variability and broad-sense heritability was studied. The descendants were obtained through a cyclic cross-pollination pattern, with the parental forms chosen based on aesthetic considerations. Cross-pollination among Rebutia senilis × Aylostera muscula, Rebutia tarvitaensis × Aylostera muscula, Aylostera flavistyla × Rebutia senilis, Rebutia senilis × Aylostera flavistyla, Aylostera muscula × Aylostera albiflora and Rebutia senilis × Aylostera albiflora did not succeed, whereas all of the other hand-pollinated crosses succeeded and produced viable seeds. The highest values of the analysed characters were observed in the progeny of A. fiebrigii var. densiseta × R. senilis and A. buiningiana × A. vallegardensis and the artificial selection to identify plants with special decorative traits was extremely efficient among them. In the F1 population of the studied crosses, a large genetic diversity was found within hybrid combinations (families), between combinations and a different variation was recorded among the analysed traits. The broad-sense heritability ranged between 0.909 (plant diameter) and 0.948 (spines length). All of the characters analysed, in the present experience, have a strong genetic determinism, being greatly influenced by the genotype and to a lesser extent, by the cultivation conditions (greenhouse).

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by the POSDRU/89/1.5/S/62371 project („Postdoctoral School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine”, Romania).

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  1. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Manastur, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania

    Lucica Mihalte & Radu E. Sestras

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  1. Lucica Mihalte
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  2. Radu E. Sestras
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Correspondence to Lucica Mihalte.

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Mihalte, L., Sestras, R.E. The plant size and the spine characteristics of the first generation progeny obtained through the cross-pollination of different genotypes of Cactaceae. Euphytica 184, 369–376 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-011-0597-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-011-0597-5

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