Summary
Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] backcross populations containing 3 to 50% wild germplasm were evaluated in south central India for grain yield and nine related traits. No individual BC0F2- to BC2F2-derived lines were high transgressive segregates for grain yield. Only 1.5% of all BC3F2- or BC4F2-derived lines were transgressive segragates, with 26% higher mean grain yield than their respective recurrent parents. The ten highest-yielding BC2F2- to BC4F2-derived lines per mating having parent CK60B yielded an average of 14% more than CK60B, which was, at the 5% level, a statistically significant difference. However, the increased yield was associated with increased plant height. The highest-yilding lines from RS/R/A2725 x virgatum and RS/R/A2725 x verticilliflorum were an average of 13.5% higher-yielding than RS/R/A2725 (a significant difference) and were equal in plant height. Selection increased BC2 mean grain yields by 6 to 27%. Population mean yield, mean yield of selected lines, and frequency of high-yielding lines were highest in the BC4.
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Journal paper no. 380, ICRISAT, Patancheru, India; Journal paper no. J-11114, Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa, USA.
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Cox, T.S., House, L.R. & Frey, K.J. Potential of wild germplasm for increasing yield of grain sorghum. Euphytica 33, 673–684 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021895
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021895