The utility of hill plots in oat research

Abstract

From 1955 through 1963, approximately 300,000 hill plots have been used in various experiments in the Iowa small grain research program. When grain yield, plant height, and heading date were measured on the same varieties, the genetic correlations between rod rows and hills were 0.98, 0.96 and 0.96, respectively.The coefficients of variation for plant height, weight per volume, spikelets per panicle, panicles per plant, weight per 100 seeds were similar for rod rows and hills. However, the coefficients of variability for grain yield ranged from 2 to 5 times larger for hills than for rod rows. Competition between varieties in adjacent hills had little effect on the performance of varieties.The best method for planting hill plots is the conventional method opening a hole in the soil about 2 inches deep with a hoe, pouring the seed in the hole, and covering it with soil. Rates of planting influenced the expression of grain yield, panicles per plant, and spikelets per panicle, but not weight per 100 seeds and plant height. Approximately 30 seeds per hill appeared the most desirable planting rate.The hill plot method could be used efficiently for early-generation testing of small grains, but final evaluation of strains should be done in rod rows. Much of the experimentation which currently employs rod rows could be done with hill plots.

Inheritance of Groat Protein in Interspecific Oat Crosses

“…Plant Sci, 52:735-742 (Sept, 1972) Other studies on wheat grain protein content have revealed heritabilities ranging from 15 to I03% (Kaul and Sosulski 1965;Lofgren et al 1968;Sunderman et al 1965). Frey et al (1955) (Frey 1965 Heritability percentages from regressing F" offspring on F, parents ranged from …”

COMPARISON OF HILL AND ROW PLOTS FOR AGRONOMIC AND QUALITY TRAITS IN SPRING MALTING BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.)

“…(Walsh etal. 1976), oats (Frey 1965) and both common and durum wheats (Baker and Leisle 1970 (Frey 1965) and barley (Welty and Ramage 1973) (Frey 1965;Baker and Leisfe 1970; Walsh et al 19'16;Garland and Fehr 1981).…”

“…(Smith et al 1970), unfair ranking of cultivars using mean yields (Baker and Leisle 1970), or insufficient replication (Walsh et al 1976 Frey (1965) and Walsh et al (1976). As is apparent in the computational formula presented in Materials and Methods, this statistic requires estimation of genetic parameters also used in computing heritabilities.…”

COMPARISON OF HILL AND ROW PLOTS FOR F3 YIELD TESTING

“…Frey (1965) (Table 3). Baker and Leisle (1970) pointed out the weaknesses of comparing methods based on phenotypic correlations.…”