Abstract:
Mass selection in a honeycomb design with controlled pollination was used to improve four local cabbage populations, and assess the value of this method.
Subjective selection criteria were used e.g. whole appearance of the plant, internal appearance of the head etc. in combination with objective selection criteria such as the number of cover leaves, the number of subtending leaves and head holding ability.
The response to selection was measured by: (1) the number of marketable heads at harvest, (2) the relation of the plants with small number of subtending leaves, (3) the relation of the heads with few leaves of the cover, and (4) the number of heads which remained marketable in the field after a month's delay of harvesting.
The process was effective to improve the relation of plants with small number of subtending leaves; which implies the increase of heads at the expense of subtending leaves.
|