In Sn populations from the crosses of one inbred line (B) we have observed segregations of luteus plants. We noticed that, generally, luteus plants were more precocious than normal plants. For individual plants (normal and luteus) the periods from planting to pollen shedding were registered.

For comparison of corresponding periods, the data were classified in three main groups, as follows: 1. Normal plants versus the luteus ones, segregating by selfing from the same inbreds. 2. The groups of normal plants from segregating inbreds versus non-segregating inbreds of 100% luteus plants. 3. Inbreds 100% normal versus different inbreds 100% luteus. Relationship between compared groups is indicated by the respective pedigrees. From the six comparisons (Table 1), the results were: 1) Five of the luteus groups were more precocious than the corresponding normal ones; such differences (ranging between 5.3 days and 11.3 days) were significant at level of p < 0.001. 2) There was only one non-significant difference.

Table 1.

From these results, it appears that this luteus character induces precocity. If, from researches going on, these conclusions were confirmed, this luteus could be used for practical purposes; for example, to reduce the flowering period of pure lines in order to obtain hybrid seed with inbreds originally of different periods.

Angel Alvarez, Luis Bosch, Mariano Blanco and Jose Luis Blanco

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