Been chatting with Brad Kasperek, trying to rectify my ignorance about BC genetics.

Reprinted with his permission, here's the gist:

 

Mary Lou, near Indianapolis - aren't iris people great!

----- Original Message -----

Dear Mary Lou,

 

The genetics of hybridizing with broken color (BC) TBs are more complex than those of simply recessive and dominate characteristics, but instead of boring you to death I'm providing a brief synopsis of my opinions to date.  After having grown around 40 to 50 thousand seedlings from BC crosses over the last 20 years I have formed the following ideas about breeding with them. 

 

1.) The ideal BC cross is BC X Plicata or visa versa.  These crosses are likely to produce about 1/6th splashed or streaked BC seedlings; however, this ratio would only be predictable if a large number of seedlings, say a 1000, are grown from crosses of the same parents.  Because of the way the law of probabilities works, a small number of seedling from this same cross may have only a few or as many as 40 or 50% BC seedlings.  It is even possible you could get 100% with or without BC if the number of seedlings is say 10 or less.

 

2.)  Crossing BC irises to any other iris pattern is VERY hit or miss and the BC pattern you would most likely get would be a splashed one.  I believe light to medium yellows and pinks would be the most BC productive especially if they have at least 2 plicata pattern genes in their set of 4 pattern genes.  The largest number of other types of crosses will produce no seedlings with visible BC characteristics although up to a 1/6th of them may be carrying the BC genetics, but there is no way of identifying which ones have it.  Therefore, as hybridizers use more and more BCs in their crosses, the number of introduced iris carrying the BC genetics will increase and the more often BC seedlings could occur from a cross without an obvious BC parent.

 

My biggest disappointment in breeding with BC irises was when I realized that crossing 2 BC parents did NOT increase the percentage of BC seedlings about the 1/6th ratio.

 

I hope this helps and I want you to know that we are reopening this year.  Our price list is available for a donation of $2.  Web site is still a disaster, but here's hoping I can get a new one up.

 

All the best, Brad K

Zebra Gardens

9130 N 5200 W

Elwood, UT 84337

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZEBRA GARDENS

Brad & Kathie Kasperek
E-mail: z*@gmail.com