Classic Genetics and Breeding - Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants - page 59

Figure 2-2 Origin of cytoplasmic male sterility in sunflower (from Leclercq 1969).
2.3 Breeding Methods
Mass or recurrent selection programs permit improvement of basic breeding
populations, by increasing the frequencies of favorable genes. Then, to obtain
inbred lines which are parents of hybrids, pedigree selection is used.
2.3.1 Mass Selection
In mass selection, each selection cycle represents only one generation. Plants,
grown in an isolated plot, are allowed to intercross and selection of those
that should be retained is made according to their phenotype, that is, their
appearance. Such a method can be efficient for characters that can be
observed before flowering, so that the undesirable plants can be eliminated
before they produce pollen (for example, Phomopsis resistance, flowering
date or height). It was used at Krasnodar to breed the early open-pollinated
variety “Cernianka”.
2.3.2 Recurrent Selection
One cycle of selection involves two or three generations, with two steps:
intercrossing of material and testing of the progenies obtained. The first
programs of recurrent selection in sunflowers were developed by Pustovoit
at Krasnodar, following what he called the “method of reserves”. The method
was based on the studies of offspring and the creation of new populations
from the remaining seed of the best individuals. This system is efficient
when there is good genetic variability and a high level of heritability (good
prediction from one generation to the next). It has been used for oil content
and for capitulum resistance to Sclerotinia , for example (Vear et al. 2007).