If I was doing this sort of cross I would recommend this many seeds.
But I establish trait in one parent before looking at such long odds. That is cross seedling with something that already has /shows trait. Take several generations, with fewer seeds. Look for secondary goals along the way. ie: establishing orange or tangerine genetics.
Chuck Chapman
---- Original Message ----
From: Linda Mann <lmann@lock-net.com>
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, Jul 11, 2011 1:46 pm
Subject: [iris-photos] Re: HYB: how many should I plant?
I guess I should clarify - what I'm trying to get a feel for is how many
seeds/seedlings do experienced breeders plant when they are trying to
combine recessives this way?
It sounds like the more the better.
Or do they usually try to stack the odds more favorably than this type
of half X half cross. From reading pedigrees, it seems like most
crosses of this type involve crossing an offspring back to the parent
carrying the recessive. Better odds!
With so many seeds this year (80+ diff crosses to choose from), I won't
plant each seed as it sprouts - will pot the entire lot as soon as the
earliest ones sprout.
<Don't bother with burrito method. That will only give you the ones that
can germinate first.
Chuck Chapman >
Linda Mann east TN USA
