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Wisconsin Fast Plants


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There have been some interest on this group recently about plants which go
a complete cycle from seed ... germination ... leaf ... flower ... viable
seed.

I have worked on some projects for my daughters nursery school where we
have used some specially bred 'fast plants'. They used Wisconsin Fast Plants.
For information go to:

http://fastplants.cals.wisc.edu/


The life cycle of a plant begins and ends with a seed. For a
yellow-flowered plant, whose scientific name is Brassica rapa, this happens
in just five weeks. This plant is a variant of wild mustard and completes
its life cycle in one fifth the time of its ancestors. It has been
selectively bred by Dr. Paul H. Williams, University of
Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Plant Pathology. 

Dr. Williams had been working to improve the disease resistance of plants
in the family Cruciferae, a large diverse group that includes mustards,
radishes, cabbages and other cole crops. In order to speed up the genetic
research in the crucifers, he spent almost 20 years breeding Brassica rapa
and six related species from the subgroup or
tribe Brassicaceae. The end result was a genetic line of small, prolific,
rapid-cycling brassicas. These plants, now known as "Wisconsin Fast
Plants," are a valuable tool that helps to shorten traditional breeding
programs and aid in cellular and molecular research. Additionally, the Fast
Plants have become extremely useful as a teaching tool in the classroom
since all aspects of plant growth and development can be easily demonstrated. 

Dr. Williams refined the rapid-cycling brassicas to have characteristics
most suitable for laboratory and classroom use. He kept selecting seed from
stock that met the following criteria: 

       shortest time from seeding to flowering 
       ability to produce seed at high plant density 
       petite plant type 
       rapid seed maturation 
       absence of seed dormancy 
       ability to grow under continuous fluorescent lighting 
       ability to grow well in a potting mix 

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The plant is very useful for a vast variety of educational programs

regards
Joel






  
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