II.53 Study of relationship between qualitative characteristics in hybridization of spring barley.
G.F. Nikitenko, Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the Central Regions of the Non-Chernozem Zone USSR, 143013, Moscow-Nemchinovka; M.A. Polukhin, and V.A. Gorshkova, V.V. Dokuchayev Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the Central Chernozem Zone, USSR, 397463, Voronezh region, Talovsky district, p.o. V.V. Dokuchayev Institute.
Total correlation analysis was carried out. The calculations were made on the computer ("EVM"). Altogether 510 correlation coefficients were calculated, its arrangement was made according to the criterion Z. 15 varieties and 46 hybrid combinations of the spring barley were used as experimental material. Basic data was received from the structural analysis of the plants and barley biochemical analysis.
It was found out that neither the number of kernels in the ear, nor the weight of 1000 kernels were clearly related with the productivity. At the same time different nature of the relation of the characteristics "productivity" and "protein content" was established. When such correlation is revealed between the varieties it may be steadily negative: in 1970 r = -0.66xx, in 1971 r = -0.61xx, in 1972 r = -0.44xx. Within the varieties the correlation between these characteristics approaches zero, and in some cases it is positive (Table 1).
Table 1. Correlation between protein content in the kernel and plant productivity.
The breeders face difficulties in hybridization, i.e. when using these varieties as parent forms with a stable negative genotypic correlation between productivity and protein content of the kernel in these varieties.
Genetic and statistic evaluation methods of genotypic correlation of qualitative characteristics in the series of the hybrid generations allowed us to establish the fact that the nature of the genotypic correlation between the characteristics under study changed from earlier to older generations. Thus, the genotypic correlation coefficient in the first generation of all hybrid combinations studied was rgf1 = 0.59xx, in the second one rgf2 = 0.26, and in the third one - rgf3 = 0.01.
As genotypic correlation between the productivity and protein content tends to decrease with the increase of the hybrid generation age it becomes somewhat possible to make complex selection for these characteristics in F2-F3.
Experimental confirmation of this concept is the isolation by a continuous individual selection from a hybrid combination Moskovsky 121 x Ganna Loosdorf into F2 elite containing 13.4 - 13.8% protein in the kernel and having a high productivity (Table 2). From the data of Table 2 it is seen that elites 20/27, 17/10, 17/7 in F4 and F6 exceeded the best parent form (Moskovsky 121) by 18 - 44% in the protein yield per unit area.
The provisional data received have shown that it is possible to combine high productivity with an increased content of protein in the kernel in hybridization of spring barley. However, possibility of such a combination is low: the success in the selection did not exceed 2%.
