title: Heritability and expected selection response for yield traits in blanched asparagus.
abstract: Despite the continuous breeding that has been conducted with asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) since the beginning of the last century, there is little information on parameters for predicting direct and indirect selection response. Yield traits for blanched asparagus production were studied along a two-year period in a half-sib family population planted in Zavalla, Argentina. Half-sib family mean heritability values were low for total yield and marketable spear number (0.31 and 0.35), intermediate for marketable yield and total spear number (0.55 and 0.64), and relatively high for spear diameter and spear weight (0.75 and 0.74). An average increase in marketable yield of 15.9% is expected after each cycle of selection of the top 5% of the families. Total yield failed to express significant genetic correlations with any of the yield components; meanwhile marketable yield showed highly significant relations with market spear number (0.96) and spear weight (0.89). Indirect selection response over yield components (CRx) failed to be advantageous over direct selection (Rx), since the ratio CRx/Rx was always equal or below unity.
authors.affiliation: Conicet, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CC 14, S2125ZAA Zavalla, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López Anido
authors.forename: Vanina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cravero
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asprelli
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cointry
mesh_terms: D027761:Asparagus Plant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001947:Breeding; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012641:Selection, Genetic