Re: MY SEEDS! Who needs them? HELP!!!!
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: MY SEEDS! Who needs them? HELP!!!!
- From: H* E* P*
- Date: Sat, 05 Jun 1999 17:27:32 -0700
- References:
Some unidentified person sent the following:
pumpkins@mallorn.com wrote:
>
> self)....second generation selfed 567 Mombert. As you know the 567 Mombert is
> one of the highest strains on the genetics list, so the the genetic potential
> is GREAT since this was selfed 2 generations. ALthough my pumpkin was not
> over 618 pounds the solid Mombert genetics are most likely still purified
> further, so this would be a great strain to cross with another big
Selfing does make a line more homozygous (pure), but it is more likely
(due to chance) to become pure for the undesired traits. To make the big
improvements that corn breeders made, you need to plant huge numbers of
the progeny and then select the desired plants.
Lerner pointed out in his book 40 years ago most college plant
breeding
texts give the student the idea that it is good to get plants homozygous
for the good traits. Lerner said that is absolutely wrong that
heterozygous plants have the higher yields. I agree with Lerner and that
is why farmers now plant hybrid corn and gardeners plant hybrid tomato.
Since most AG growers do not have the space and 10 years are needed to
implement the above proven program, I am inclined to feel the current
practice of mating the top pumpkins is the most fun way to improve AG
genetics. However, we are selecting mainly for weight and color and
there is great risk that traits like resistance to diseases and pests
will be lost.
Fortuneately, some growers have the space and public dedication to
plant a few dozen plants.
Folks were kind enough to send me 150 seeds from second tier or
particularly interesting fruits and I planted all of the seeds a week
ago. About 15 are visible today. I have no idea what will become of this
mass effort in very little space. At least I will have lots of plants to
examine for discernable alleles.
I germinated them in pots, and will set them in long rows at close
spacing with 20 to 30 feet between rows. I hope to train the vines to
run at right angles to the rows with each alternate plant vining the
opposite direction. I hope I will be able to discard plants during the
summer so that the final plants are not too closely spaced. Most of the
idea for this plan came from Nic Welty and melon farmers two counties
north of me.
If this succeeds, I will have lots of seeds for next year and can
begin by direct seeding about 12 inches apart and then practice heavy
selection during the summer by removing 80% of the plants early on the
basis of good vine and flower traits.
--
Harold Eddleman Ph.D. Microbiologist. i*@disknet.com
Location: Palmyra IN USA; 36 kilometers west of Louisville, Kentucky
http://www.disknet.com/indiana_biolab/pk700.htm
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