Efficiency of visual selection on lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain yield

Abstract

This work was carried out aiming to verify if visual selection among F₂ plants is effective based on grain yield; if there are differences among breeder skills; and if the early selection, accomplished by each one of the plants individually, is efficient in improving the performance of families in advanced generations. Three populations from the three-way crosses were used. Eleven breeders varying in their experience on the crop, performed visual selection of individual plants with higher grain yield in F₂generation. It was realized that the breeders showed different skillness for visually identifying higher yielding plants; in addition, it was found that such skillness is not associated to the individual's experience to identify the highest yielding plants. The progenies, from visually selected plants in the F₂ generation, yielded similarly to the ones obtained randomly, showing that the early selection was not effective.