Quantitative Inheritance of Plant Growth Habit in Blueberry Progenies

Abstract

Abstract Genetic variance components, narrow-sense heritabilities, and general combining ability (GCA) effects were estimated for plant growth habit traits from a partial diallel cross among 17 blueberry (Vactinium corymbosum L., V. angustifolium Ait., and V. corymbosum x V. angustifolium hybrids) parents. Plant height, plant diameter, and a subjective stature rating were recorded for parent and progeny plants in 1984 after 9 growing seasons at Becker, Minn. General and specific (SCA) combining ability variances were significant for all traits. GCA variance components were larger than SCA components for height and stature rating, and heritabilities (family-mean basis) were 0.68 and 0.64, respectively, indicating the relative importance of additive genetic variance for these traits. Desired stature or height in this population should be recoverable through recurrent phenotypic selection. SCA variance components were much larger than GCA components for plant diameter measures, and heritability was low. Vaccinium angustifolium parents had very negative GCA effects for plant height and stature ratings, while parents with largely V. corymbosum ancestry had positive effects. Coefficients of determination between parental phenotype and GCA effects indicated that progeny performance should be predicted by parental phenotype for stature or height but not for diameter.