Summary
A method used to breed for higher yielding varieties of spring wheat for the dry prairie area of Canada is described. The procedure was to grow a large population in F2, and yield test in F4 (1462 lines), F5 (443 lines) and F6 (150 lines) culminating in tests of 47 lines at either three or six locations in F7 and 20 in F8. Final yield tests were conducted at 22 locations. The 43 station-years of advanced tests gave 465 yield comparisons between the lines and the check varieties. Yields significantly lower than the best check were recorded in only five comparisons at one station in one year, while in 275 of the 465 comparisons, yields were significantly better than the check variety. Lines yielded up to 181 percent of the check. The largest and most consistent increases were at the originating station or at locations which were similar in soil-climatic conditions. Reference is made to relationships between yield under dry conditions and the tillering and rooting habits of plants. Conclusions drawn were that the inherent yielding ability of spring wheat can be increased and that the procedure being used is effective in breeding for yield in the dry prairie area of western Canada.
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Hurd, E.A. A method of breeding for yield of wheat in semi-arid climates. Euphytica 18, 217–226 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035694
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035694