Genetic, phenotypic, and environmental correlations in black medic, Medicago lupulina L., grown in three different environments
1994
Hebert, D. | Faure, S. | Olivieri, I. (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Mauguio (France). Station de Genetique et d'Amelioration des Plantes de Montpellier)
The relationship between phenotypic and genetic correlations among a large number of quantitative traits (36) in 3 different environments was investigated in order to determine their degree of disparity and whether phenotypic correlations could be substituted for their genetic counterparts whatever the environment. The influence of the environment on genetic and phenotypic correlations was also studied. 20 accessions (full-sib families) of Medicago lupulina were grown in 3 environments. In 2 of these 2 levels of environmental stress were generated by harvesting plants at flowering and by growing plants in competition with barley, respectively. A third environment, with no treatment, was used as a control with no stress. Average values of pod and shoot weight indicate that competition induces the highest level of stress. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among the 36 traits were compared. Significant phenotypic correlations were obtained easily, while there was no genetic variation for 1 or the 2 characters being correlated. The large positive correlation between the genetic and phenotypic correlation matrices indicated a good proportionality between genetic and phenotypic correlations matrices but not their similarity. In a given environment, when only those traits with a significant genetic variance were taken into account, there were still differences between genetic and phenotypic correlations, even when levels of significance for phenotypic correlations were lowered. Consequently, it is dangerous to substitute phenotypic correlations for genetic correlations. The number of traits that showed genetic variability increased with increasing environmental stress, consequently the number of significant genetic correlations also increased.
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