Peculiarities of spring barley varieties in terms of general and specific combining abilities and ratios of their variances

Abstract

Peculiarities of combining ability of awned and awnless varieties and their parents were established in 2014–2016. An unequal ratio of GCA and SCA variances in F₁ for quantitative traits of varieties was determined. Strong effects of SCA on productivity and its structural components in F₁ of some hybrid combinations were observed.

The aim and tasks of the study. The study objective was to determine peculiarities of the general and specific combining abilities, ratios of GCA and SCA variances in F₁ hybrids of awned and awnless varieties and their parents.

Materials and methods. Spring barley varieties and their parents Modern, Granal, Zvershennia, Vitrazh, Etyket, Dzherelo, Vzirets, Badioryy, Maliovnychyy, Pasadena and Tolar were taken as starting material for research. Data were statistically processed using dispersion analysis using according to BA Dospekhov’s methods and genetic analysis according to MA Fedin method.

Results and discussion. It was found that Dzherelo and Badioryy had the greatest number of gene alleles (of 6 traits) that positively determine trait values by high GCA; Granal and Vitrazh – of 3 traits; Zvershennia—of 2 traits; and Tolar, Modern and Etyket – of 1 trait. This is important for their use in combination breeding. Prevalence of additive gene effects was demonstrated, when selection will be effective in hybrid combinations involving Zvershennia (for 5 traits: 1000-grain weight, spike length, spikelet number per spike, grain weight per spike, and plant height), Dzherelo (for 3 traits: spike length, plant height, spikelet number per spike), Vzirets, Etyket and Granal (for plant height). Strong effects of SCA on productivity in F₁ of some hybrid combinations were recorded.

Conclusions. Strong effects of GCS by quantitative traits of varieties were stable over the three years of research: by plant productivity – in Badioryy; by productive and general tillering capacity – in Zvershennia and Badioryy; by grain number per spike – in Dzherelo, Badioryy and Vitrazh; by 1000-grain weight – in Dzherelo, Badioryy, Etyket, Granal, Modern, Vitrazh and Tolar; by spike length – in Dzherelo, Granal and Vitrazh; by spikelet number per spike – in Dzherelo; by straw weight – in Badioryy; by plant height – in Dzherelo and Granal; by grain/straw ratio – in Dzherelo. Unequal ratios of GCA and SCA variances in F₁ were detected for 11 quantitative traits of awned and awnless varieties. Strong effects of SCA on productivity in F₁ of some hybrid combinations were noticed upon crossing certain varieties, in the offspring of which forms with high levels of traits can be effectively selected