Ten pairs of isopopulations, 20 F4—lines each, representing reciprocal crosses of BC0 an1 BC2 of all possible matings among five wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) accessions ana two cultivars (Avena sativa L.), were evaluated to determine whether groat—protein content and its genetical control was influenced by cytoplasmic inheritance.
No direct effect on protein content and the estimates of its genetical parameters; such as GCA and SCA variance components and effects, additive genetic variance, and heritability, was attributed to different cjtoplasms. However, A. sterilis cytopla3ms had higher average values for protein percentage for matings of C19170. Also, the phenomena of nuclear-cytoplasmic interaction effects were
revealed. In matings where significant differences were present between cytopla3mic isopopolations, those. with A. sterilis cytoplasm usually were superior, but no consistent cytoplasmic effect across all matings was exhibited. These results suggest that the potential exists for improving groat protein content of cultivated oats by specific cytoplasms from A.Sterilis, and breeders may be able to improve the productivity of their crops by using diverse cytoplasms, and taking advantage of some nick nucleo-cytoplasmic interactions.
• According to the results obtained, general combing ability was the major source of genetic variability. Additive variance appeared to account for the largest proportion of the total genetic variance. Also narrow—sence heritability estimates were high. Hence, gene action involved in the inheritance was largely additive, and effective selection programmes such as backcrossing could be performed to improve groat protein percentage.
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