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The inheritance of shape, size and season of ripening in progenies of the cultivated apple

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Abstract

  1. 1.

    An analysis of the data from 1,387 seedlings from 44 progenies derived from 21 varieties of apples showed that the characters fruit shape, size and season of ripening all showed a quantitative pattern of inheritance.

  2. 2.

    The progeny mean for fruit shape was found to be approximately equal to the mid-parent value.

  3. 3.

    The progeny mean for fruit size is generally less than the mid-parent value, the average decrease from the mid-parent for all the outbred progenies being 34 per cent. In consequence, only a very small proportion of seedlings produce fruit of acceptable size.

  4. 4.

    The progeny mean for season of ripening is close to the mid-parent value except in crosses between late ripening varieties, in which the progeny mean is earlier than the mid-parent.

  5. 5.

    The main effects of each parent on each of the three characters have been calculated by treating the data as an incomplete diallel cross. The calculated main effects for each of the 21 varieties tested allow predictions to be made on the progeny means of untested combinations of parents.

Samenvatting

Analyse van de gegevens van 1387 zaailingen afkomstig uit 44 nakomelingschappen van kruisingen tussen 21 appelrassen toonde aan dat de eigenschappen vruchtgrootte, vruchtvorm en rijptijd alle kwantitatief overerven.

Het nakomelingschapsgemiddelde voor vruchtvorm was ongeveer gelijk aan het gemiddelde van de ouders. Het nakomelingschapsgemiddelde voor vruchtgrootte lag in het algemeen beneden het gemiddelde van de ouders, terwijl de gemiddelde afwijking voor alle nakomelingschappen 34% beneden het gemiddelde van de ouders bleek te zijn. Slechts een zeer klein percentage van de zaailingen produceerde derhalve vruchten van een voor de handel acceptabele grootte.

Het nakomelingschapsgemiddelde voor de rijptijd lag dicht bij het gemiddelde van de ouders behalve bij kruisingen tussen late rassen waarbij het nakomelingschapsgemiddelde vroeger bleek dan het gemiddelde van de ouders.

De hoofdinvloed van elk ouderras op elk van de drie eigenschappen werd berekend door de gegevens te behandelen als die van een onvolledige diallele kruising. De berekende hoofdinvloed voor elk van de 21 onderzochte rassen maakt het mogelijk te voorspellen hoe het nakomelingschapsgemiddelde van niet beproefde combinaties van de ouderrassen zal zijn.

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  1. John Innes Institute, Bayfordbury, Hertford, Herts

    A. G. Brown

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  1. A. G. Brown
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Brown, A.G. The inheritance of shape, size and season of ripening in progenies of the cultivated apple. Euphytica 9, 327–337 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029485

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029485

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