Heritability Estimates of the Pungency and Single-center Traits in Onion

Abstract

Heritabilities of the pungency and single-center traits were estimated in onion breeding lines using selection response and half-sib family analyses. Pungency was determined by measuring enzymatically produced pyruvic acid in individual bulbs. After one generation of selection, pungency was lowered by 0.37 and 0.42 μmol pyruvic acid/gram fresh weight in the breeding lines 90-61-1 and 89-69-8, respectively, and realized heritabilities of 0.21 and 0.51 were estimated. Heritability estimates calculated through half-sib progeny analysis were 0.53, 0.48, and 0.25 for pungency in the breeding lines 90-61-1, 90-62, and 89-69-8, respectively. The number of single-centered onions was increased by 19% and 22% in the lines 90-62 and 89-69-8, respectively, after one generation of selection, and the realized heritability estimates were 0.37 and 0.34, respectively.