Diverse composite cross populations (CCPs) consisting of thousands of segregating lines are created by crossing a number of parent varietes.  Populations demonstrate greater resilience in unfavorable conditions at sowing in Autumn 2012 due to poor weather and high levels of Fusarium infection in seed

Fradgley, Nick

Wolfe, Martin

Organic Eprints

Cereal Populations - Coping With Unpredictable Weather  And Climate  WHAT IS A POPULATION? All plants in a population are genetically distinct while all of those in a pure line variety are (almost) identical.  This means that populations are better able to adapt to unpredictable environments. CREATING A POPULATION A Composite Cross Population (CCP) is created by inter-crossing (by hand) selected parent varieties in all combinations. The resulting F1 hybrid plants produce segregating F2 populations which are bulked together and grown in the field.  Segregation and natural selection over a number of generations then leads to populations comprising very large numbers of homozygous but genetically distinct lines.   POPULATIONS ARE RESILIENT IN POOR CONDITIONS  This year (2012-13) many autumn sown wheat crops failed due to a range of factors including the poor weather conditions, forcing late drilling, and high levels of Fusarium infection in the seed crop.  The trials here demonstrate that, unlike the YQ Population, the pure-line variety Alchemy failed when drilled only nine days later (25th October) than the plots in which both crops established well (drilled 16th October).  The photos below from June 2013 demonstrate, dramatically, the advantages of the greater genetic diversity in populations.    POPULATION ALCHEMY  Drilled 16th October 2012 Drilled 25th October 2012 The parental crosses  involved in creating the  ORC YQ CCP POPULATION ALCHEMY  

Cereal Populations - Coping With Unpredictable Weather And Climate

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