A diallel analysis of germination in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

Five diploid O-type sugar beet families and their male-sterile equivalents were studied in a replicated diallel cross. The seed produced was sorted by size and subjected to randomised germination trials. Seven characters were analysed including percentage germination and rate of germination. For most characters the majority of the variation observed was due to differences between seed sizes and between replicate crosses. (...)