The Performance of Alfalfa Synthetics in the First and Advanced Generations

Authors

W. R. Kehr
H. O. Graumann
C. C. Lowe
C. O. Gardner

Date of this Version

10-1961

Document Type

Article

Citation

Kehr, W.R., Graumann, H.O., Lowe, C.C. and Gardner, C.O. (1961) The performance of alfalfa synthetics in the first and advanced generations (Research Bulletin: Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Nebraska No. 200)

Comments

ISSN 0097-1531

Abstract

During alfalfa breeding investigations conducted at the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, numerous superior clones were selected and tested as clones, and in polycross progeny tests. Information was needed on the performance of synthetic varieties in the first and advanced generations, on the optimum number of clones to include in a synthetic variety, and on parent-progeny relationships. Clones with high general combining ability for forage yield as measured by polycross progeny tests, and in certain instances specific combining ability based on single-cross tests, were intercrossed in various ways to produce synthetic varieties. A group of synthetics varying in number of parents from 2 to 6 clones, having in some instances certain clones as common parents, was tested initially in the first generation of synthesis (referred to as Syn-1 from here on), later in the Syn-1 versus the Syn-2, and in some instances in the Syn-1, Syn-2, and Syn-3, and ultimately in the Syn-1,-2,-3, and -4 generations. The purposes of this bulletin are to report (1) comparative results obtained in yield trials involving the Syn-1,-2,-3, and -4 generations of 5 two-clone and 14 multiple-clone synthetics at Lincoln, Nebraska, and Ithaca, New York, and (2) parent-progeny relationships.