A diallel cross analysis of heading date in wheat

SASHAYDIALL: A SAS Program for Hayman's Diallel Analysis

Different methods of diallel crossing are commonly used in plant breeding. The diallel cross analysis method proposed by Hayman is particularly useful because it provides information, among others, on additive and dominance effects of genes, average degree of dominance, proportion of dominance, direction of dominance, distribution of genes, maternal and reciprocal effects, number of groups of genes that control a trait and exhibit dominance, ratio of dominant to recessive alleles in all the parents, and broad-sense and narrow-sense heritability. In this paper, we fully describe a SAS-based software SASHAYDIALL for performing a complete diallel cross analysis based on Hayman's model with or without reciprocals. We demonstrate the use of SASHAYDIALL with two data sets; one is a published diallel cross data set with reciprocals in cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), and the second is a data set from a multilocation diallel cross trial in maize (Zea mays L.) without reciprocals. With SASHAYDIALL, diallel experiments conducted in single sites can be analyzed to estimate various genetic parameters, and this analysis is extended over locations or environments to assess genetic effect × environment interaction. SASHAYDIALL is user-friendly software that provides detailed genetic information from diallel crosses involving any number of parents and locations.

Inheritance of seed yield and quality traits in peas (Pisum sativum L.)

A half diallel analysis involving nine cultivars showed that additive as well as non-additive gene effects were important for the inheritance of seed yield per plant, 100-seed weights, protein content and potassium per cent. For remaining traits non-additive genetic components were important. Overdominance was observed for all traits except for 100-seed weight, which expressed partial dominance. Parents PMR-T10, EC21857, EC109182, T163 and EC109189 were good general combiners for seed yield, seed weight and quality traits. In general there was a good relationship between per se performance and the gca effects of the parents for all traits. Cross combinations such as LMR8 x EC109182,LMR8 x PMR-T10,LMR8 x EC21857,PMRT10 x EC21857 and P23 x EC21857 were found promising. The seed yield was positively correlated with other quality traits. Protein had a positive correlation with methionine and phosphorus. All the values of correlation co-efficients were non-significant except for yield with potassium, 100-seed weight and protein with methionine, indicating that yield and quality attributes can be improved simultaneously by simple selection procedures.

Genetic studies of yield contributing traits in Amaranthus

Genetical studies on grain yield and its contributing traits were made in a six parent complete diallel in the F1 and F2 generations of one of the most widely grown grain species of grain amaranths (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.). Graphical analysis indicated that epistasis exists for 1,000-grain weight in the F1. Grain weight/panicle, yield/plant and harvest index indicated absence of non-allelic gene interaction. The harvest index in the F1 and F2 and grain weight/ panicle, 1,000-grain weight, yield/plant in the F2 appeared to be controlled by overdominance effects. Higher grain yield appeared to be associated with dominant genes. Both additive and non-additive gene effects were responsible for the genetic variation in the diallel population. However, dominance variance was more important than additive variance in grain yield/ plant and harvest index in the F1 and F2. For 1,000-grain weight additive genetic variance was more important in the F1 and non-additive in F2. There was overdominance of a consistent nature in the two analyses for harvest index in the F1 and F2, grain weight/ panicle, 1,000-grain weight and yield/plant in the F2 and partial dominance for 1,000-grain weight in the F1.

Inheritance of seed protein content and other agronomic characters in long bean (Vigna sesquipedalis Fruw.)

Seven varieties of long bean, which included three local and four exotic, were crossed in a complete diallel. This was an attempt to study the inheritance of crude protein content, protein yield, flowering date, pod yield and yield components.Both additive and non-additive gene effects were responsible for the genetic variation in the diallel population. However, dominance variance was more important than additive variance in crude protein content, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod. For seed weight and pod length, additive variance was more important.The crude protein content, protein yield and number of pods per plant appeared to be controlled by overdominance effects. Partial dominance seemed to be the case for flowering date, pod length and seed weight; complete to overdominance for pod yield. High protein appeared to be associated with recessive genes whereas there was a general trend of high yielding parents carrying more dominant genes.

The inheritance of lipoxidase activity and pigment content in durum wheat

Analysis of a 10-parent diallel of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) grown at two diverse locations revealed that for enzyme lipoxidase activity, wheat and predicted macaroni pigment contents, heterosis was environmentally dependent. Both additive and dominance genetic effects were significant for each of these quality traits studied, but in one location, the additive genetic effect was consistently more pronounced than the dominance genetic effect, while the reverse was the case in the other location. There was no evidence of epistatic gene effect for any of the three characters in either location.

Diallel analysis of four agronomic traits in common wheat

The common wheat cultivars Aköz, Florence, Mentana, Jaral, and Siete Cerros were crossed in 1972 in all possible combinations excluding reciprocals. In 1972--1973 the F1 hybrids and the five parents were field grown at Bornova in randomized complete blocks. The characters studied were plant height, spike length, 1000-kernel weight, and plant yield. The analysis of data showed that (a) with respect to plant height and 1000-kernel weight all F1 combinations deviated from the corresponding midparental values, (b) for the same characters the GCA variances were significant and the GCA divided by SCA ratios high, (c) the characters' plant height, spike length, and 1000-kernel weight were probably controlled by two effective factors each, and (d) plant height had the highest and 1000-kernel weight the lowest heritability (h2=0.66 and h2=0.26, respectively). It was concluded that a desired response to selection could be expected for plant height and 1000-kernel weight.

Behavior genetic analysis of mouse emotionality. III. The diallel analysis

A total of 775 pure-strain and F1 mice were obtained from a 6 X 6 diallel mating plan. Previous factor analysis of 42 measures of emotionality identified 14 behavioral factors, ten of which were interpretable. Hayman's analysis of variance and analysis of diallel crosses were applied to each of the factors. In general, the findings indicate that the mode of inheritance for emotionality factors is polygenic and in the direction of complete dominance. However, a major point of this investigation is that the mode of inheritance of highly complex behavior such as emotionality depends on the factor in question. For example, the breakdown of dominance effects by factor was as follows: partial dominance--Motor Discharge, Food Motivation, Tunneling-2, and Activity Level (males); complete dominance--Audiogenic Reactivity, Underwater Swimming (males), and Activity Level (females); overdominance--Acrophobia, Territorial Marking (males). Additional findings include directional dominance for Underwater Swimming and Audiogenic Reactivity, and significant sex differences for eight of the 14 factors.

QUANTITATIVE INHERITANCE IN DURUM WHEAT

Little or no heterosis was found for height, yield and yield components in the F1's resulting from the diallel crossing of six geographically diverse cultivars of durum wheat. General combining ability effects were more pronounced than specific combining ability effects and average parental performance gave a good prediction of hybrid performance. Heritability for yield was 0.61. For the cultivars studied, a conventional pedigree breeding program probably offers the most hope for genetic advancement. No easily measured character could substitute for yield per plant as a selection criterion for yield.