Re: AG Germplasm

> Harold,

Thanks for the time and energy.  One of the things i like about AG's
Contests is this funny little game of growing the heaviest pumpkin has
motivated growers to research and learn as much as they can . Trying to
improve their knowledge of plants and the processes.  It is absolutely
exciting.   The cultural practices are amazing. It is very exciting to be
learning new terms from a someone that has worked in genetics having you on
board to help us laymen with hunches  or things we think we see.  I mainly
deal with planting row crops and they seem to be pretty much consistant with
there out come.  I did not know that Other sibbed seed from other crops had
the same sort of discards as AGs.  Personally I like the wild variations we
see with these monsters truly entertaining.  You were right about what i am
looking for big one most the time (aren't we all looking for that) I am
trying to think of a scenerio that might explain what i am thinking.    Lets
say you have selected two great looking pumpkins out of a 100 seeds planted
Both  are offspring  from the same parent lineage. Brother and sister so to
speak.  Now each of these plants grow a fine looking pumpkin  similar to
each other.  You harvest both pumpkins each has 200 seeds.  You plant a 150
seeds from one of them.  You get  5% of good pumpkins from that set of 150
seeds. Now this is the decision you have to make the following year.
Because seed selection is so critical because of the space limitations.  Now
when you bring down the jars of seed one has the remaining 50seeds and the
other has All 200 seeds.  The jar with the 50 seeds is famous now because it
has had 5% success.  Now heres the part in question  are there any more good
ones left in the jar of 50??  Or do I have a better chance of getting one of
the top 5% of the good ones from the jar of the unkown- untested  200.
Where do you think the better odds lie??  MB

> > One problem is there is no fixed number of good seed one could
> > bank on. But I sometimes feel that I should  attempt to do that.
> > That after say 4% of good seed has been found by planting and making
> > it to the scales WE then take  serious notice and go after that
> > particular cross.  I have always felt that going back after the
> > 1% remaining good seed wasn't the best way to go. I would appreciate
> > your thoughts on this.
>   I may not understand your plan. If you are saying, "Let's try to look
> at the methods available to develop some dependable inbred (prob by
> sibbing) lines, then I agree.
>   I think you are hoping that it will be possible to develop some lines
> which can be crossed to produce big pumpkins every time. I am only
> guessing, but I think that is a good plan with lots of examples of
> success in other crops.
>

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