CORRELATION STUDIES FOR AGRONOMIC CHARACTERS IN SEGREGATING FAMILIES OF SPRING OILSEED RAPE (BRASSICA-NAPUS)

Knowledge of the extent and type of relationship between agronomic characters in oilseed rape is of relevance to plant breeders, in order to avoid selecting against an agronomically important character white performing early generation selection of another character. Genetic and phenotypic correlations for ten agronomic characters were calculated across and within four summer oilseed rape crosses. From each cross 32 F3 families were tested in the first year and 12 F3 families in the second year. The genetic correlations with yield in every cross were generally low. There is a consistency of high positive correlation of oil content in the seed with protein content in the meal in all crosses. The genetic correlations sometimes displayed differences between the four crosses. This largely influenced the predictions for the proportion of lines that are superior for two characters simultaneously.