Hybridization Results

[David Clulow]

Recently there has been some discussion on the results of growing Adenium  from hand pollinated seeds.  I cannot agree with some of the remarks.  Especially statements that the vast majority of seedlings will be inferior to their parents.  The rules of Mendelian Inheritance state that out of 16 seedlings, 14 will be intermediate between the parents and just 1 will be inferior and probably 1 will be superior.

 

However for this to happen, the parents must be intelligently chosen. I have said it before and I say it again YOU MUST CROSS LIKE WITH LIKE.  Red times red invariably gives reds, white times white (as long as they are pure white with no pink in them) will give 100% whites.  If you cross a red with a white you will get disaster.  What Mr Ko euphemistically calls “pinks” fit only for rootstock.

 

Now let’s look at a few of Mr Ko’s offerings on e-Bay:

This will be a disaster. Nondescript pink flowers, not a white nor a black, possibly 25% grotty doubles but not attractive.  Compare it with

now here you have a winner !  14 out of 16 will be very similar to the parents, 1 will be even better and probably just one suitable for roostock.

again this should be excellent, 25 to 50% will be doubles and ALL will be yellow, from pale to dark an exciting cross

This is a bit more experimental - but I would think the majority of the seedlings will be purplish and up to 50% doubles, a gamble but a good one !

[gar...@hawaiiantel.net]

David which "The rules of Mendelian Inheritance state that out of 16 seedlings, 14 will be intermediate between the parents and just 1 will be inferior and probably 1 will be superior."
There are 3 laws of Mendelian inheritance.
vladimir (curious as always)
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[Mark Dimmitt]

David and all,

It's much more complicated. Standard Mendelian ratios apply only when the selected trait is governed by a single gene. (Mendel obtained many complicated and confusing results, and he ignored that data.) In fact very few traits are controlled by single genes. Flower color in adeniums is controlled by numerous genes. If you line breed (cross like with like) for red flowers for several generations, you will eventually get a strain that yields mostly red flowers. But it takes much more than red flowers to create a superior adenium. 

Even within the red line, superior plants are much less than one in ten, because of the multiple genes involved. The two most brilliant reds I have are Home Run and Udomtrap. So far I've flowered 34 seedlings, none of which is as good as the parents. This is explained by the rule of regression toward the mean. For example, tall human parents tend to have taller than average kids. But the children of very tall parents will rarely be as tall. That's because the kids are unlikely to inherit all of their parents' genes that contribute to height.

My concept of a "superior" adenium has a big caudex, sturdy stems, richly colored flowers of good form, high flower count, and a long blooming season. That's six variables, probably all of which are governed by multiple genes. If we very generously assume that one in ten seedlings will be superior to its parents in each trait, the probability of a seedling being superior in all traits is 0.1 to the sixth power = one plant in a million. Good luck!

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 6, 2013, at 8:08 AM, David Clulow <david....@gmail.com> wrote:

Recently there has been some discussion on the results of growing Adenium  from hand pollinated seeds.  I cannot agree with some of the remarks.  Especially statements that the vast majority of seedlings will be inferior to their parents.  The rules of Mendelian Inheritance state that out of 16 seedlings, 14 will be intermediate between the parents and just 1 will be inferior and probably 1 will be superior.

 

However for this to happen, the parents must be intelligently chosen. I have said it before and I say it again YOU MUST CROSS LIKE WITH LIKE.  Red times red invariably gives reds, white times white (as long as they are pure white with no pink in them) will give 100% whites.  If you cross a red with a white you will get disaster.  What Mr Ko euphemistically calls “pinks” fit only for rootstock.

 

Now let’s look at a few of Mr Ko’s offerings on e-Bay:

<5-$(KGrHqV,!k8FF-jBtGQ8BRlZZ,0pDg~~60_3.JPG>

This will be a disaster. Nondescript pink flowers, not a white nor a black, possibly 25% grotty doubles but not attractive.  Compare it with

<1-$T2eC16N,!zUE9s389ykWBRlZZ6M7Mg~~60_3.JPG>

now here you have a winner !  14 out of 16 will be very similar to the parents, 1 will be even better and probably just one suitable for roostock.

<2-$(KGrHqJ,!qgFF5GsZP-BBRlZZgzKjg~~60_3.JPG>

again this should be excellent, 25 to 50% will be doubles and ALL will be yellow, from pale to dark an exciting cross

<3-$T2eC16J,!)0E9s37F,2HBRlZZGwBug~~60_3.JPG>

This is a bit more experimental - but I would think the majority of the seedlings will be purplish and up to 50% doubles, a gamble but a good one !

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