Wt. Federer et Bt. Scully, A PARSIMONIOUS STATISTICAL DESIGN AND BREEDING PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATING AND SELECTING DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS OVER ENVIRONMENTS, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 86(5), 1993, pp. 612-620
The concept of stability as described in the literature does not meet
all of the desirable criteria required by growers of cultivars. Variou
s types of possible responses are discussed, and these are divided int
o those desirable from a grower's viewpoint and those not. Measures of
stability appearing in the literature are based on variances, linear
regression slopes, and/or deviations from regression. The most desirab
le response type would be denoted as unstable by current concepts of s
tability. It is shown how to simulate environments that exceed the ran
ges found in practice. A statistical design is described which is the
height of parsimony and has the advantage that the conditions varied a
re known. The experimental results can then be interpreted in light of
the known conditions. The design is optimally cost effective in terms
of funds, material, and personnel. A breeding procedure is presented
for such characteristics as desired response, stability under current
definitions, tolerance (to pests, cold, drought, etc.), protein, quali
ty, fiber, etc.