Browsing by Subject "heterosis"
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Item A study of heterotic relationships in sorghum(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Gabriel, KrishnamoorthyIn sorghum, a predominantly self-pollinated crop, hybrid seed production relies exclusively on the cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility system. The system of hybrid development has caused sorghum breeding programs to develop two breeding groups: a male-parent group (R-line/ fertility-restorer) and a female-parent group (an A/B line, lacking the fertility-restoring gene of the A1 male-sterility system). These have served as heterotic groups in the absence of more information with reference to genetic diversity. Efforts to determine heterotic groups in sorghum have not been successful in clearly delineating any patterns. However, in a recent molecular marker-based study of 50 elite sorghum parental lines, groups similar to the working group system were observed, as was an absence of a consistent delineation, characteristic of heterotic groups, between the A/B- and R-lines. This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the groups observed and assessing their potential as heterotic groups. Two parental lines from each of the five groups, and two lines from those not conforming to any group, were chosen and crossed in a half-diallel. The twelve parents, sixty-six diallel hybrids and three commercial hybrid checks were evaluated for grain yield and other agronomic traits in five environments' College Station, TX in 2003 and 2004, Weslaco, TX in 2003, and Halfway, TX in 2003 and 2004. Within-group crosses exhibited inferior heterotic expression, for grain yield and other traits, in comparison with across-group crosses. Furthermore, genetic similarity estimates for parental line pairs obtained from the molecular study were significantly correlated with specific combining ability and heterosis for yield of the corresponding hybrid combinations, revealing a pattern of correspondence between molecular data and heterosis. Hybrids made among R-lines and among B-lines were significantly lower in yield compared to AxR hybrids, likely to be a result of decades of breeding efforts to develop inbreds within the mutually isolated groups, rather than a consequence of phylogenetic divergence. An examination of the heterotic effects manifested in hybrid combinations reveals a pattern of interactions broadly in agreement with the molecular data, but differential responses between individual members of the proposed groups make it difficult to define distinct heterotic groups.Item Evaluation of heterosis and heterosis retention in Bos taurus-Bos indicus crossbred cattle for productivity traits in cows(Texas A&M University, 2005-11-01) Meuchel, Meredith ChristineReproductive and weight traits were analyzed for Angus (A), Brahman (B), Hereford (H), and Nellore (N) straightbred cows; F1 NA cows; 3/8N 5/8A cows and quarter blood composite cows (BANH) of the four straightbreds in Central Texas. Heterosis was estimated for calf crop born (CCB), calf crop weaned (CCW), and calf survival (CS) by linear contrasts within cow breed groups. F1 NA cows expressed heterosis (P < 0.0001) for CCB (0.22) and CCW (0.20). Except for the 3/8N 5/8Ac cows, which resulted from the mating of NA bulls to 3/4A 1/4N cows, all of the crossbred cow breed types expressed significant heterosis (P < 0.05) when compared to the weighted average of the parental purebreds for CCB. BANHc cows that were the result of mating NA bulls to HB cows expressed heterosis for CCB (0.35) (P < 0.001) and CCW (0.29) (P < 0.05). The 3/8N 5/8Aa females produced by mating 3/4N 1/4A bulls to NA cows expressed heterosis (P < 0.0001) for CCW (0.20). Heterosis for calf survival was near zero for all breed types, but only two breed types of 3/8N 5/8A cows were significantly greater than the weighted average of the parental purebreds. Heterosis for birth weight (BWT) and weaning weight (WWT) was also analyzed by linear contrasts within cow breed groups. The BANHb and BANHc cows produced from mating NA bulls to BH and HB F1 cows, respectively, expressed heterosis for BWT (2.89 + 0.79 (P < 0.001) and 3.38 + 1.51 (P < 0.05)). All cow breed types expressed significant heterosis (P < 0.05) for WWT. The BANH2 cows resulting from the mating of NA bulls to F2 HB or BH cows expressed heterosis (P < 0.0001) for WWT (52.01 kg + 9.88).Item Evaluation of heterosis and heterosis retention in Bos taurus-Bos indicus crossbred cattle for reproductive and maternal traits in cows(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Neufeld Arce, Rodney OliverReproductive, maternal and weight traits were analyzed for Angus (A), Brahman (B), Hereford (H), and Nellore (N) straightbred cows; F1 NA; 3/8N 5/8A cows; and four breed composite cows (BANH) at the McGregor Research Station in Central Texas. Heterosis was estimated for calf crop born (CCB) (n = 1,698), calf crop weaned (CCW) (n = 1,698), calf survival (CS) (n = 1,388), birth weight (BW) (n = 1380), weaning weight (WW) (n = 1,198), and cow weight at palpation (PWT) (n = 1,929) by linear contrasts for cow breed and cow breed group. F1 NA and the quarter breed composite BANH dam group expressed significant (P < 0.0001) heterosis for calf crop born and calf crop weaned. The 3/8 N 5/8 Aa produced by matings of 3/4 A 1/4 N bulls to NA dams expressed significantly more heterosis for CCB (P < 0.0001) and CCW (P < 0.01), while the 3/8 N 5/8 Ac dams expressed less heterosis than predicted from the dominance model for both traits. For CS the 3/8 N 5/8 Aa expressed the same amount of heterosis as predicted from the dominance model of 0.05, while the 3/8 N 5/8 Ab and 3/8 N 5/8 Ac dams expressed less heterosis than predictions based on the dominance model. Heterosis estimates were only significantly higher (P < 0.10) for BANHb dams than expectations from the dominance model. For BW all the BANH cows expressed significant heterosis except for the BANH2 cows which expressed significant (P < 0.05) negative heterosis of -0.96 kg. Calves out of F1 NA cows were heaviest at weaning with 239 kg. All BANH cows expressed significant (P < 0.0001) heterosis for weaning weight except for the BANHc cows. These heterosis estimates were higher than those expected from the dominance model for BANHb and BANH2 cows, while the heterosis estimate was slightly lower in BANHa cows and similar for BANHc cows. All 3/8 N 5/8 A cows expressed less heterosis for WW than prediction from the dominance model. Nellore cows were the heaviest at four years of age with 542 kg. Only the BANHb and BANHc cows expressed significant (P < 0.05) heterosis for PWT. None of the 3/8 N 5/8 A cows expressed heterosis for cow weight at palpation. Results from this study showed that heterosis levels expressed by the different crossbred cow types were generally equal or higher to those predicted by the dominance model.Item Heterosis and Composition of Sweet Sorghum(2011-02-22) Corn, Rebecca J.Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has potential as a bioenergy feedstock due to its high yield potential and the production of simple sugars for fermentation. Sweet sorghum cultivars are typically tall, high biomass types with juicy stalks and high sugar concentration. These sorghums can be harvested, milled, and fermented to ethanol using technology similar to that used to process sugarcane. Sweet sorghum has advantages in that it can be planted by seed with traditional planters, is an annual plant that quickly produces a crop and fits well in crop rotations, and it is a very water-use efficient crop. Processing sweet sorghum is capital intensive, but it could fit into areas where sugarcane is already produced. Sweet sorghum could be timed to harvest and supply the sugar mill during the off season when sugarcane is not being processed, be fit into crop rotations, or used in water limiting environments. In these ways, sweet sorghum could be used to produce ethanol in the Southern U.S and other tropical and subtropical environments. Traditionally, sweet sorghum has been grown as a pureline cultivar. However, these cultivars produce low quantities of seed and are often too tall for efficient mechanical harvest. Sweet sorghum hybrids that use grain-type seed parents with high sugar concentrations are one way to overcome limitation to seed supply and to capture the benefits of heterosis. There are four objectives of this research. First to evaluate the importance of genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment interaction effects on the sweet sorghum yield and composition. The second objective is to determine the presence and magnitude of heterosis effects for traits related to sugar production in sweet sorghum. Next: to study the ability of sweet sorghum hybrids and cultivars to produce a ratoon crop and determine the contribution of ratoon crops to total sugar yield. The final objective is to evaluate variation in composition of sweet sorghum juice and biomass. Sweet sorghum hybrids, grain-type sweet seed parents, and traditional cultivars that served as male parents were evaluated in multi-environment trials in Weslaco, College Station, and Halfway, Texas in 2007 and 2008. Both genotype and environment influenced performance, but environment had a greater effect than genotype on the composition of sweet sorghum juice and biomass yield. In comparing performance, elite hybrids produced fresh biomass and sugar yields similar to the traditional cultivars while overcoming the seed production limitations. High parent heterosis was expressed among the experimental hybrids for biomass yield, sugar yield and sugar concentration. Additional selection for combining ability would further enhance yields and heterosis in the same hybrid. Little variation was observed among hybrids for juice and biomass composition suggesting that breeding efforts should focus on yield before altering plant composition.Item High-biomass sorghums for biomass biofuel production(2011-05-09) Packer, DanielHigh-biomass sorghums are being developed as a dedicated energy crop for biofuels. Their high biomass yields provide large quantities of structural carbohydrates (cellulose, lignin, etc.) for energy production. Sorghum improvement for applications such as grain or fodder production is well established, but development of high-biomass sorghums for biofuels is not. Thus the objectives of this research were to develop information on sorghum improvement methods and criteria for high-biomass sorghums including marker-assisted selection, use of exotic germplasm, heterosis, and GxE variability of biomass composition. Marker-assisted selection was compared to testcross selection for identifying photoperiod-insensitive (PI) experimental lines that yield photoperiod-sensitive (PS) hybrids within the Ma1/Ma5/Ma6 hybrid production system. High-biomass sorghums are PS and the Ma1/Ma5/Ma6 hybrid production system produces PS hybrids with PI parents by manipulating alleles at the Ma1, Ma5 and Ma6 sorghum maturity loci. Four hundred eighty three sorghum lines were genotyped at the Ma1 and Ma5 loci to predict their hybrid photoperiod reactions and testcrossed to establish their actual hybrid photoperiod reactions. Ma1/Ma5 marker selections for lines producing PI hybrids were reliable and could be used to discard such lines. Ma1/Ma5 marker selections for lines producing PS hybrids were not reliable and identification of such lines will require testcrossing or potentially, genotyping at Ma6 or other additional loci. An attempt was made to determine whether meaningful relationships exist between the passport data (geographic origin) of exotic sorghum accessions and high-biomass desirability. Such a relationship could be used to prioritize exotic sorghum accessions for breeding evaluations. Seventeen hundred ninety two exotic sorghum accessions from 7 different geographic origins were evaluated for high-biomass desirability in 3 environments. Significant relationships between passport data and high-biomass desirability were identified within environments but were not applicable across environments because of large GxE interactions. A larger sampling of environments will be needed to understand and establish reliable passport data and high-biomass desirability GxE patterns. High-parent heterosis can improve yields in high-biomass sorghums and hybrid entries derived from high-biomass sorghum pollinators and grain sorghum females were evaluated for biomass heterosis. Grain sorghum females enable commercial seed production of high-biomass sorghums. Moderate levels of biomass high-parent heterosis were widely available in the hybrids. Heterosis and biomass yields were maximized in specific hybrid combinations and were subject to GxE interactions. Biomass composition (percent cellulose, hemicellulose, etc.) affects the conversion efficiency of biomass to liquid fuels and may be altered via breeding selections. Breeding methods and genotype recommendations for biomass composition will require consideration of GxE variability. The biomass composition of 12 sorghums grown across 5 environments was estimated using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to identify GxE patterns. Significant GxE interactions for biomass composition were identified, but most compositional variability was attributable to environmental differences. Differences between genotypes for compositional traits were small (1-3 percent), but may prove important with large-scale biomass processing.