and range from 0.50 to 0.93 (Baker and McKenzie, 1972; Branson and Frey, 1989b;Brown et al., 1974; Increases in the groat (caryopsis)-oil content of oat (Avena sativa and Frey, 1991b). Genotype ϫ environment interaction L.) raise the energy value of oat grain. Nine cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for high groat-oil content were conducted in a geneti-for groat-oil content is not a major component of its cally broad-based oat population that included germplasm from the phenotypic variance (Branson and Frey, 1989b; Gullord, wild relative A. sterilis L. Our objectives in this experiment were to 1986;Thro and Frey, 1985). Genotypic variation for determine if selection for high groat-oil content was effective and if groat-oil content has been observed among adapted culselection reduced genetic variation for oil content; to identify agrotivars (Brown and Craddock, 1972) and among wild nomically acceptable lines with high groat-oil content; and to docurelatives, including the progenitor species, A. sterilis ment the indirect effects of selection on grain yield, groat fraction, (Frey and Hammond, 1975;Martens et al., 1979). Aland oil yield. We evaluated 100 random lines from the base (C0) though the groat-oil content of wild Avena species does population and each of the nine selection cycle populations in three not exceed the levels found in domesticated oat (Rezai, (1985) reported that alleles for cycles of selection at a rate of 6.6 g kg Ϫ1 cycle Ϫ1 (equivalent to 6.7% of C0 population mean cycle Ϫ1 ) from a mean of 98.2 g kg Ϫ1 in C0 to higher oil content from A. sativa and A. sterilis are 158.5 g kg Ϫ1 in C9. The rate of gain from selection did not decrease complementary. Thus, by combining alleles for higher in later cycles. Oil yield increased at a rate equivalent to 1.9% of C0 oil content from the two species, development of oat population mean cycle Ϫ1 , while mean groat fraction did not change genotypes with higher groat-oil contents than any preand mean grain yield decreased at a rate equivalent to 3.2% of C0 viously reported in either species was facilitated (Thro population mean cycle Ϫ1 . For all traits, genetic variation did not deand Frey, 1985).
environments. Mean groat-oil content increased linearly during nine
1977), Thro and Frey
crease during selection cycles. Selected S 0 -derived lines from the popu-The abundance of genetic variation for oil content in lation with groat-oil contents Ͼ1 5 0gk g Ϫ1 exhibited lower yield, cultivated oat and interfertile wild hexaploid oat and greater lodging, and greater disease susceptibility compared with the the higher heritability of the trait permit relatively rapid best check cultivar.