Quantitative genetics of growth and development in Populus. I. A three-generation comparison of tree architecture during the first 2 years of growth

One approach to gain an insight into the genetics of tree architecture is to make use of morphologically divergent parents and study their segregating progeny in the F₂ and backcross (B₁) generations. This approach was chosen in the present study in which material of a three-generation pedigree growing side by side in a replicated plantation, was analyzed. The pedigree included Populus trichocarpa (T) and P. deltoides (D) parents, their F₁ and F₂ hybrids and their B₁ hybrids to the D parent. The trees were grown in the environment of the T parent and measured for the first 2 years of growth. Nine quantitative traits were studied at the stem, branch and leaf levels of tree architecture, in which the original parents differed. Strong F₁ hybrid vigor relative to the better parent (T) was expressed in growth and its components. Most quantitative traits in the F₂ and B₁ hybrids were intermediate between the T and D parents but displayed a wide range of variation due to segregation. The results from the analysis of variance indicated that all morphometric traits were significantly different among F₂ and B₁ clones, but the B₁ hybrids were more sensitive to replicates than the F₂. Broad-sense heritabilities (H ²) based on clonal means ranged from moderately high to high (0.50–0.90) for the traits studied, with H ² values varying over age. The H ² estimates reflected greater environmental noise in the B₁ than in the F₂, presumably due to the greater proportion of maladaptive D alleles in those hybrids. In both families, sylleptic branch number and length, and leaf size on the terminal, showed strong genetic correlations with stem growth. The large divergence between the two original parents in the traits studied, combined with the high chromosome number in Populus (2n=38), makes this pedigree well suited for the estimation of the number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying quantitative variation by Wright's biometric method (1968). Variation in several traits was found to be under the control of surprisingly few major QTLs: 3–4 in 2nd-year height and diameter growth, a single QTL in stem diameter/height ratio.     

Selection for yield and yield components in the early generations of a potato breeding programme

Summary A number of unselected potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) clones were grown at two locations (a seed site and a ware site) in three consecutive years. The repeatability of total yield and yield components in the first two clonal years was compared with the same characters recorded in the third clonal year. Selection for yield in the first clonal year was only marginally more effective than a random reduction in number of genotypes, while selection in the second clonal year appeared to be somewhat more effective as judged by performance in the third clonal year. The inefficiency of selection in the first clonal year was ascribed, at least in part, to the inaccuracy of yield assessment as well as the carry-over effect of the mother tubers. Correlations of total yield were higher between different years in the same location than between different locations. Selection under growing conditions suitable for production of seed tubers tended to result in selection of early maturing clones which would not necessarily be optimal for ware growing conditions.     

Effectiveness of indirect selection for wheat yield in a stress environment

 Effectiveness of indirect selection for grain yield was investigated among eight bread wheat lines, selected in a stress environment in the East African Highlands, where they showed a wide response to yellow rust, the biotic factor causing the stress. The lines were intercrossed to give an 8×8F₁ diallel, which was grown in this same environment for three consecutive growing seasons during 1994 and 1995. Half of the last trial was sprayed with fungicide. From the estimates of narrow-sense heritabilities for yield and yellow rust severity, and the genetic correlation between them, indirect selection for yield in the unsprayed plots, obtained by choosing the most resistant 5% of this material was, on average, 12% higher than selecting for yield itself. In the fungicide-treated plots, indirect selection was only 73% as efficient as direct selection. The implications of these results for selecting for yield in stress environments are discussed. Received: 10 April 1998 / Accepted: 5 August 1998     

猫儿山小鲵(Hynobius maoershanensis)繁殖期生境选择

在广西猫儿山自然保护区的山顶湖、三江源、野人湖等地区,基于植被类型、水体类型、岸边条件、卵袋悬挂物、水中覆盖物、人为干扰程度等20种生境因子,通过61个样方（26个选择样方和35个对照样方）,对猫儿山小鲵繁殖期的生境选择做进行了研究,并得出以下4个主要结论：（1）在基于描述型生态因子的研究中,结果显示选择样方与对照样方在水体类型、岸边条件、水中覆盖物3种因子上差异显著,而植被类型、卵袋悬挂物、人为干扰程度3种生态因子对其生境选择无显著影响。（2）基于14种数值型生态因子的研究结果显示,选择样方和对照样方间的植被盖度、水体面积、水体流速和水底泥沙比方面具有显著差异。植被盖度较低、水体面积较大的水域、水体流速低和水底泥沙比较低的水域是猫儿山小鲵的优选繁殖地。（3）基于14种数值型生态因子的逐步判别表明,通过植被盖度和水底泥沙比2个生态因子可分辨选择样方和对照样方,正确判别率达80.3%,且对于检验也具有最大的贡献值,分别为0.840和0.622。（4）对猫儿山小鲵卵袋对数和14种数值型生态因子的逐步回归分析结果显示猫儿山小鲵在繁殖期生境选择与地表湿度显著正相关,与植被盖度呈显著负相关,高地表湿度和低植被盖度对猫儿山小鲵的产卵量起促进作用。猫儿山小鲵繁殖期间偏好的微生境为较低植被盖度、较大面积水体和较低流速、低水底泥沙、多水中覆盖物、复杂岸边条件的静水型水塘,与选择偏好的微生境相关的生态因子是猫儿山小鲵繁殖期生境选择的主要因子。     

Efficiency of direct selection on quantitative trait loci for a two-trait breeding objective

Selection on known loci affecting quantitative traits (DSQ) was compared to phenotypic selection index for a single and a two-trait selection objective. Two situations were simulated; a single known quantitative locus, and ten identified loci accounting for all the additive genetic variance. Selection efficiency of DSQ relative to traitbased selection was higher for two-trait selection, than was selection on a single trait with the same heritability. The advantage of DSQ was greater when the traits were negatively correlated. Relative selection efficiency (RSE) for a single locus responsible for 0.1 of the genetic variance was 1.11 with heritabilities of 0.45 and 0.2 and zero genetic and phenotypic correlations between the traits. RSE of DSQ for ten known loci was 1.5 to 1.8 in the first 3 generations of selection, but declined in each subsequent generation. With DSQ most loci reached fixation after 7 generations. Response to trait-based selection continued through generation 15 and approached the response obtained with DSQ after 10 generations. The cumulative genetic response after 10 generations of DSQ was only 93% to 97% of the economically optimum genotype because the less favorable allele reached fixation for some loci, generally those with effects in opposite directions on the two traits.     

Early generation selection for agronomic characters in a potato breeding programme

Summary A random sample of seedlings representing high, medium and poor vigour was studied for tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth, tuber cracking, tuber yield per plant, average tuber weight and number of tubers per plant in four successive generations (F₁, F₁, F₁C₂, and F₁C₃). Based on the performance of vigour groups in various generations and inter-generation correlation coefficients, we propose a procedure for the elimination of unproductive genotypes early in the breeding programme. The data indicates that seedlings of poor vigour can be discarded at the seedling stage prior to transplantation in the field. The rejection of clones on the basis of tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth and tuber cracking can also be initiated at the seedling stage. For tuber yield and average tuber weight a negative selection (rejection of poor phenotypes) is suggested from the first clonal generation and for number of tubers, from second clonal generation, until statistically sound replicated trials can be conducted for carrying out positive selection.     

The quantitative genetics of the prevalence of infectious diseases: hidden genetic variation due to indirect genetic effects dominates heritable variation and response to selection

Infectious diseases have profound effects on life, both in nature and agriculture. However, a quantitative genetic theory of the host population for the endemic prevalence of infectious diseases is almost entirely lacking. While several studies have demonstrated the relevance of transmission of infections for heritable variation and response to selection, current quantitative genetics ignores transmission. Thus, we lack concepts of breeding value and heritable variation for endemic prevalence, and poorly understand response of endemic prevalence to selection. Here, we integrate quantitative genetics and epidemiology, and propose a quantitative genetic theory for the basic reproduction number R₀ and for the endemic prevalence of an infection. We first identify the genetic factors that determine the prevalence. Subsequently, we investigate the population-level consequences of individual genetic variation, for both R0 and the endemic prevalence. Next, we present expressions for the breeding value and heritable variation, for endemic prevalence and individual binary disease status, and show that these depend strongly on the prevalence. Results show that heritable variation for endemic prevalence is substantially greater than currently believed, and increases strongly when prevalence decreases, while heritability of disease status approaches zero. As a consequence, response of the endemic prevalence to selection for lower disease status accelerates considerably when prevalence decreases, in contrast to classical predictions. Finally, we show that most heritable variation for the endemic prevalence is hidden in indirect genetic effects, suggesting a key role for kin-group selection in the evolutionary history of current populations and for genetic improvement in animals and plants.     

东北地区北红尾鸲巢址选择及繁殖成效

北红尾鸲(Phoenicurus auroreus)是一种分布广泛的小型雀形目鸟类,主要分布于南亚东北部,东南亚北部、东亚及俄罗斯等地区,我国东北、华北、华中至西南等地也均有分布,是重要的食虫益鸟。为探究北红尾鸲巢址选择的影响因素,找到影响北红尾鸲繁殖成功率的主要巢址因子,于2017年4—7月,在辽宁仙人洞国家级自然保护区开展系统研究。共发现北红尾鸲自然巢44个,其中29巢繁殖成功,15巢繁殖失败。北红尾鸲主要筑巢于石墙缝、空心砖墙缝及废旧电表箱中。巢址参数的主成分分析结果表明:巢口因子(27.738%)、巢位因子(14.195%)、光照因子(12.145%)、人为干扰因子(10.440%)、安全因子(9.266%)和隐蔽因子(7.187%)是影响北红尾鸲巢址选择的重要因子。采用二元逻辑斯蒂回归分析繁殖成功巢与失败巢参数发现,成功巢的巢口最大高度显著小于失败巢(P=0.047),且其距顶的距离更近(P=0.043)。多元线性回归分析表明,巢上方盖度对繁殖成功率有极显著影响(t=2.883,P=0.009)。总的来说,北红尾鸲虽偏爱筑巢于人为干扰较大的村庄房屋附近,但较小的巢口能有效避免巢捕食者的捕食,更近的距顶距离和更大的巢上方盖度能有效降低巢上方的可视程度和降水等不利因素的影响,从而提高繁殖成功率。     

Reproductive fitness and artificial selection in animal breeding: culling on fitness prevents a decline in reproductive fitness in lines of Drosophila melanogaster selected for increased inebriation time

Summary The maintenance of reproductive fitness in lines subjected to artificial selection is one of the major problems in animal breeding. The decline in reproductive performance has neither been predictable from heritabilities and genetic correlations, nor have conventional selection indices been adequate to avoid the problem. Gowe (1983) has suggested that the heritabilities of reproductive traits are non-linear, with heritabilities being higher on the lower fitness side. Consequently, he has predicted that culling on reproductive fitness in artificial selection lines will be effective in preventing the usual declines in fitness. An experimental evaluation of Gowe's prediction has been carried out by comparing fitnesses of replicated lines of three treatments: selection for increased inebriation time without culling on fitness (HO), selection for inebriation time with culling of 20% (4/20) of selected females on reproductive fitness (HS), and unselected controls (C). Response to selection for inebriation time in the two selection treatments was similar. After 25 generations, the competitive index, a measure of reproductive fitness, was significantly lower in the HO treatment than the HS treatment, while the HS treatment did not differ from the control lines or the base population. These results demonstrate for the first time that culling on reproductive fitness in selection lines can be used to prevent the usual decline in reproductive performance.     

Combined genetic analysis of partial blast resistance in an upland rice population and recurrent selection for line and hybrid values

The CNA-IRAT 5 upland rice population has been improved for 4 years by recurrent selection for blast resistance in Brazil. In order to predict the efficiency of recurrent selection in different test systems and to compare the relative advantage of hybrids versus pure line breeding, a combined genetic analysis of partial blast resistance in the CNA-IRAT 5 population was undertaken. A three-level hierarchical design in inbreeding and a factorial design were derived from the base population. Partial blast resistance of lines and hybrids was evaluated in the greenhouse and in the field by inoculation with one virulent blast isolate. The means and genetic variances of the hybrids and lines were estimated. Genetic advance by recurrent selection was predicted from estimates of variance components. The inheritance of partial blast resistance was mainly additive but non-additive effects were detected at both levels of means and variances. Mean heterosis ranged from 4%–8% for lesion size and lesion density to 10–12% for leaf and panicle resistance. High dominance or homozygous dominance variances relative to additive variance and negative covariance between additive and homozygous dominance effects were estimated. A low frequency of favourable alleles for partial resistance would explain the observed organisation of genetic variability in the base population. Recurrent selection will efficiently improve partial blast resistance of the CNA-IRAT 5 population. Genetic advance for line or hybrid values was expected to be higher testing doubled haploid lines than S1 lines, or than general combining ability. Two components of partial resistance assessed in the greenhouse, lesion size and lesion density, could be used as indirect selection criteria to improve field resistance. On the whole, hybrid breeding for partial blast resistance appeared to be slightly more advantageous than pure line breeding.     

Direct and indirect effects of predation on mosquitofish behavior and survival

Predation can have strong direct and indirect effects on the behavior of prey. We investigated whether predation by chain pickerel (Esox niger) caused adult eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) to alter their habitat use and whether pickerel predation influenced survival of adult and neonate mosquitofish. The number of adult mosquitofish using the riskier of three habitats was lowest when two predators occupied the risky habitat, intermediate in the treatment with one predator, and highest when no predators occurred there. More mosquitofish neonates survived high predation treatments than treatments lacking pickerel. We conclude that pickerel predation causes adult mosquitofish to shift to refuge habitats. The pattern of neonate survival suggests that adult habitat use may create a refuge from cannibalism for neonate mosquitofish, resulting in higher neonate survival in treatments with more pickerel. Hence, pickerel predation has a direct effect on adult mosquitofish behavior and a strong indirect effect on neonate survival. Both interspecific and intraspecific predation can effect prey populations and can interact to produce important indirect effects.     

Quantitative analysis of the effect of selection history on sugar yield adaptation of sugarcane clones

An objective of the CSR sugarcane breeding programme in Australia was to assess the scope for broadening the genetic base of the commercial sugarcane germ plasm through interspecific hybridization with Saccharum spontaneum clones. The contribution of both selection history and S. spontaneum to sugar yield and its components was investigated in the germ plasm pool assembled. The analysis was conducted on a data-set of 256 clones, consisting of parents and full-sib families generated from 32 biparental crosses, tested in six environments. The minimum number of generations back to S. spontaneum ancestor in the clone's pedigree was used as a germ plasm score. The geographical origin and selection history of each parent and their use in the biparental crosses were used to develop a selection history score for parents and offspring. The variation for seven attributes, cane yield, commercial cane sugar %, sugar yield, stalk number per stool, stalk weight, fibre % and ash % juice was partitioned according to the germ plasm and selection history scores. Significant (P<0.05) clone variation and clone x environment interaction for all attributes was present. The germ plasm scores accounted for a significant (P<0.05) component of the clone variation for all of the attributes except cane yield. There was an increase in sugar yield with an increase in the minimum number of generations back to a S. spontaneum clone. The selection history groups accounted for a high proportion of the variation among parental clones for all of the attributes except cane yield. This suggested that parents were the outcome of strong selection pressure for the commercial cane attributes. However, the selection history groups for the offspring produced by random mating of parents did not account for a high proportion of the variation for the attributes. Using the mixture method of classification we partitioned the 256 clones into five groups for patterns of performance for the seven attributes across the six environments. The five groups emphasized major differences in the patterns of performance for the seven attributes across environments. The distribution of germ plasm and selection history scores in each of the five groups indicated that their patterns of performance were associated with selection history and minimum generations to S. spontaneum. Therefore, both the analysis on selection history and germ plasm scores (extrinsic classification) and the analysis on the mixture method of classification (intrinsic classification) emphasized the influence of selection history on the sugar yield of sugarcane.     

油橄榄育种及栽培技术研究进展

油橄榄是世界著名的木本油料兼果用树种,在医药、生态、园林绿化等方面具有较强开发应用潜力。在查阅大量相关文献的基础上,综述了中国油橄榄种质资源引进及利用、育种及栽培等方面研究进展,提出了存在种质资源开发利用不足、育种工作进程缓慢、栽培技术未成体系等方面的问题,并指出下一步应加强种质资源鉴定和评价、育种群体综合测定、建立高产高效栽培技术体系等方面的研究,以期为中国油橄榄育种及栽培技术发展提供参考。     

Effects of short light-dark regimes on in vitro shoot rooting of some fruit tree rootstocks

Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of 4/2 light-dark cycles (4 h of light followed by 2 h of dark) on the rooting responses of shoots cultivated in vitro of the fruit tree rootstocks GF 677 (peach × almond hybrid), Mr.S. 2/5 (Prunus cerasifera), MM 106 (apple Nothern Spy × Paradise M1) and BA 29 (Cydonia oblonga). Under this light regime rooting percentage of GF 677, Mr.S. 2/5 and MM 106 shoots reached 100 % as in the control treatment (16/8), while in BA 29 shoots, short light-dark cycles increased rooting response by about 65 %. Moreover, the shoots of all rootstocks submitted to the 4/2 cycle showed an appreciable increase in root number and length, and an earlier root emergence of about 4 – 5 d compared to the 16/8 cycle. Finally, rooting percentage of BA 29 shoots submitted to the 4/2 light regime and treated with 0.2 mg dm⁻³ indolebutyric acid (IBA), was equal to that reported with 0.4 mg dm⁻³ IBA under the 16/8 regime, indicating that the former light regime also amplified the rhizogenic effect of auxin.     

Chemical composition of five deciduous tree species in four-year-old,closely spaced plantations

Summary Contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Mn in aboveground tree components of five deciduous species were determined in closely-spaced (0.9×0.6 m) 4-year-old plantations growing on a river terrace site in the Ohio Valley region of western Kentucky (USA). Species evaluated were: a hybrid poplar, American sycamore, European alder, river birch and green ash. The only significant difference in dry weight of tree components was greater bolebark biomass of the hybrid poplar. Total aboveground elemental content of N, K, Ca, and Mn varied significantly for some species. N content of green ash was significantly lower and K content of the hybrid poplar and Mn content of European alder were significantly greater compared with the other species. Ca contents of the hybrid poplar, American sycamore and European alder were significantly greater than those of other species. Based on the relationship between biomass production and nutrient content of the harvested biomass, it seems that on this and comparable sites, river birch is a preferred species in view of the lower potential nutrient removals in the harvested biomass.The investigation reported in this paper (79-8-129) is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with approval of the Director.     

Intra- and interspecific inheritance of some components of the resistance to leaf rust (Melampsora larici-populina Kleb.) in poplars

Clonal variation for rust resistance was studied in a factorial mating design of Populus trichocarpa and P. deltoides with 17 intraspecific and 15 interspecific progenies. Susceptibility to Melampsora larici-populina was assessed both under natural conditions in the nursery and after leaf-disk inoculation with two pathogen races in a controlled environment. Different components of the resistance were taken into account: immunity in the field or in the laboratory, latent period, number and size of uredia in the laboratory, and field resistance at the end of the growing season. Genes controlling immunity were contributed only by the P. deltoides parents. The distributions of clonal means within each family suggested a polygenic inheritance of field resistance in the P. trichocarpa x P. trichocarpa crosses, but major gene effects were suspected in the interspecific progenies. Inefficiency of the quantitative mechanisms of resistance in the interspecific F₁ hybrids might have important implications for future breeding strategies. Field and laboratory trials complemented each other well, and a combined selection approach is proposed.     

Increase in anthocyanin yield from wild-carrot cell cultures by a selection system based on cell-aggregate size

Wild-carrot (Daucus carota L.) cell cultures were screened to yield small (less than 63 m) or large (greater than 170 m) cell aggregates which were then subcultured. Cultures of the small-size class had a higher, those of the large-size class a lower anthocyanin yield than the unscreened culture. This relationship became accentuated with an increasing number of passages with screening prior to subculture. At the end of six months (12 passages), the pigment yield of the small-size class was triple that of the unscreened cells. Following this selection period, the tendency of the small-size fraction to increase in clump size when subcultured without screening was much less than that of freshly isolated cell aggregates of the same size. These observations may be explainable on the basis of a differential distribution of cytokinin between aggregates of different sizes. High levels of cytokinin inhibit anthocyanin accumulation and inhibit cell separation; these effects result in large cell aggregates having low levels of anthocyanin. In support of this hypothesis, it is shown that addition of kinetin to cultures of small cell aggregates causes an increase in the size of cell aggregates and a parallel decrease in anthocyanin yield.     

Discomycetes on decayed tree fern. (3) Lachnum lanariceps and Lachnum oncospermatum new to Japan

Two species were newly identified in Japan. Lachnum lanariceps was characterized by a central and cylindrical stipe and hairs containing pale yellow pigment with red or garnet resinous matter. Lachnum oncospermatum was identified after comparison with the holotype of Dasyscyphus oncospermatis. This fungus has the characteristics of wrinkled apothecium and branched stipe.     

Ecology and genetics of insecticide resistance inHelicoverpa armigera: Interactions between selection and gene flow

Pyrethroid resistance inHelicoverpa armigera provides a model system in which to study evolution in natural populations. Resistance is seen to evolve as a consequence of selection pressure that varies within and between life-stages and gene flow. Although three different mechanisms are involved, present day fluctuations in phenotype frequency can be explained by variation in only one of these, metabolic resistance, that is inherited as a single, incompletely dominant gene,mfo. Selective mortality of phenotypes occurs in both larvae and adults in the presence of the pyrethroid insecticides. Although most individuals of all three genotypes are killed in young larvae, selection in this age-class contributes significantly to evolution of resistance. While there is some evidence of reduced fitness of resistant pupae during winter diapause, most of the decline in resistance frequencies each spring occurs as a result of immigration of susceptible individuals into insecticide-treated populations.