Potential for increasing early vigour and total biomass in spring wheat. I. Identification of genetic improvements

摘要: Increased early vigour and vegetative biomass at anthesis should lead to yield improvements in wheat. Fifteen introductions were compared with five standard cultivars Western Australia Wongan Hills 1988, Hills, Merredin Esperance 1989 identify useful parents for their production. Two times of sowing included 1989. Dry matter production was measured all sites except the stage (49 55 days after sowing), late (56 75 anthesis. Some more vigorous stages, produced than cultivars. Experiments under irrigated, non-stress conditions showed these lines leaves tillers quickly The full growth potential may not have been expressed fully due environmental limitations. While variation dry existed within cultivars, it adequate or consistent enough be value breeding. stages correlated significantly grain 1989, but 1988. Broad sense heritabilities three generally high, averaging 72, 73 69% vegetative, respectively. importance assessing breeding populations is discussed.