ESTIMATION OF COMPONENTS OF GENETIC VARIANCE AND HERITABILITY FOR FLOWERING TIME AND YIELD IN GERBERA USING DERIVATIVE-FREE RESTRICTED MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD (DFRML)

Additive genetic components of variance and narrow-sense heritabilitie s were estimated for flowering time (FT) and cut-flower yield (Y) for six generations of the Davis Population of gerbera using Derivative-Fr ee Restricted Maximum Likelihood (DFRML). Additive genetic variance ac counted for 54% of the total variability for FT and 30% of the total v ariability for Y The heritability of FT (0.54) agreed with previous AN OVA-based estimates. However, the heritability of Y (0.30) was substan tially lower than estimates using ANOVA. The advantages of DFRML and i ts applications in the estimation of components of genetic variance an d heritabilities of plant populations are discussed.