Inheritance of a dwarf seed stalk character in onion

Results are reported of crossing a dwarf seed stalk line (mean height 44.8 cm) from Israel with five inbred lines of the Rijnsburger type each having normal tall seed stalks (mean heights 83.1–105.9 cm). The seed stalk height of F₁ generations from these crosses was slightly greater than that of the Rijnsburger parents but segregation occurred in the F₂ giving plants which could be considered ‘dwarf’ and ‘normal’ with respect to seed stalk height. Selfing individual F₂‘dwarf’ plants produced F₃ progenies whose mean heights were in the dwarf range, and were significantly correlated with those of their F₂ parent. The results obtained in the F₂ and F₃ families suggest that although a major recessive gene for dwarfness may be present, substantial minor gene and environmental variation is also involved.