THE EFFECT OF LOCATION ON NATURAL SELECTION IN BULK POPULATIONS OF BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE L.). I. SIMPLY INHERITED TRAITS

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Abstract
The effect of location on natural selection was investigated by studying the changes in phenotypic composition of six simply inherited traits. Seventeen F15 unselected bulk populations were derived from a single cross of barley. Fifteen of the bulks were alternated between Macdonald College and La Pocatière either annually or after 2–8 yr at one location; one of the remaining two bulks was grown continuously at Macdonald College and the other at La Pocatière. By F15, almost all populations had shifted toward plants with rough awns, yellow aleurone, short-haired rachillas, hairy rachis, or a dense spike. The V-shaped collar type predominated in these populations. The propagation environments had a significant effect on the rates of change in phenotypic composition of the six simply inherited traits in these barley bulk populations. However, the frequency of alternating populations between the two locations appeared to have only a minor influence on the rates of change in phenotypic composition of these traits.