Effects of reduced plant height on breeding requirements and ...

GENER¡.L DTSCUSS]ON
Since desired changes in <strong>plant</strong> type can affect the
attainment <strong>of</strong> other desirable goaIs, or ¡nay influence the
methodol.gy which nust be ernproyed, to attain then in a
breeding progran, the clarification <strong>of</strong> the interreLationships
<strong>of</strong> <strong>plant</strong> type with agronomic and quality paraneters is important.
The initiat investigation reported was carried out
to determine whether semi-dwarfisro is a phenotypÍc change
that i.nvolve,s such effects.
The methodology employed in the present study was inadequate
for the estimation <strong>of</strong> genotypic r¡alues for some <strong>of</strong>
the traits investigated. This Ínadequacy 1ay partially in
the techníques empJ.oyed during the inve stlgation; however,
the effects <strong>of</strong> reducêd <strong>plant</strong> <strong>height</strong> did cornplicate matters
in some instances.
lhe nature <strong>of</strong> the populations involved led to an ínflated
heritability estimate for <strong>plant</strong> heíght. lhe breeding be_
haviour <strong>of</strong> other characterístics closely related to hefght
was somewhat affected by this, and thelr heritabilitj,es were
also high. The resuLts further lndieated that ínvoLvement
<strong>of</strong> <strong>reduced</strong> <strong>plant</strong> <strong>height</strong> in hybrict barley populations would
not necessítate a radi.cal departure fror¿ conventíonal selec_
tion methods to attain desirable levels <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> the other
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