ARS | Publication request: Inbreeding Implications on Reproductive Characteristics in Two Lesquerella Populations

Submitted to: Association For The Advancement Of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Acceptance Date: August 15, 2004
Publication Date: September 19, 2004
Citation: Tomasi, P., Dierig, D.A. 2004. Inbreeding Implications On Reproductive Characteristics In Two Lesquerella Populations. Association For The Advancement Of Industrial Crops Conference. P. 40

Technical Abstract: Reproductive characteristics in Lesquerella are likely influenced both by environmental and heritable effects. Understanding this relationship would be helpful when selecting for these yield related traits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to produce and characterize two inbred populations of Lesquerella, L. fendleri and L. lindheimeri. In the first cross season (Fall 2002 to Spring 2003), twelve plants of a high oil germplasm release of L. fendleri (WCL LY2) and twelve plants of an unselected wild accession of L. lindheimeri (A2232) were grown in the greenhouse and selfed by bud pollination to produce S1 seed. In the second season (Fall 2003 to Spring 2004), we attempted to bud pollinated three S1 plants from each of the original twelve L. fendleri and L. lindheimeri populations. A total of 18 L. fendleri and 35 L. lindheimeri S1 selfs were completed resulting in S2 seed. Reproductive characteristics were recorded for both generations, which included: mean petal length, silique swell percentage, ovules per silique, seed per silique, mean seed mass (or 1000 seed weight), and when possible, oil and fatty acid content. Eleven of twelve plants from each species produced enough S1 seed in the first cross season to measure total seed oil percent. Only one L. fendleri self did not produce enough S1 seed to analyze oil or fatty acid content. Twenty five of the 35 L. lindheimeri S1 plants (71%) and four L. fendleri S1 plants (22%) produced enough S2 seed in the second cross season to measure total seed oil percent. The results indicate that oil content was variable in both species, but not significantly different. Seed mass was not significantly different between the two L. fendleri generations, although it was between the two L. lindheimeri generations. Seeds per silique did not decrease significantly between the S1 and S2 generations in both species, but the number of ovules per silique was different. Both species had no significant differences in silique swell percentage and only the mean petal length between the L. lindheimeri generations was different. Other pertinent relationships between these characteristics and generations will be presented. Quantifying the reproductive characteristics of these species will aid in future genetic breeding studies, specifically the development of molecular markers for selectable traits and targeted production of new interspecific hybrids between promising inbred lines.