Heritability and gene effects for tiller number and leaf number in non-heading Chinese cabbage using joint segregation analysis

- A special tillering (shoot branching) trait in non-heading Chinese cabbage.
- Heritability and gene effects for two traits (tiller number and leaf number).
- Two crosses and two year data to prove the mixed inheritance model.
- High heritability of the two traits can promote breeding selection.

Non-heading Chinese cabbage is one of the most popular leafy vegetables. Three cultivars, 'Maertou', 'Rugaomaocai' and 'Suzhouqing', were crossed to study gene effects and heritability involved in tiller and leaf development. The joint segregation analysis in six generation populations, P1, P2, F1, F2, B1 and B2, indicating the influence of major genes mixed with polygenes. The results revealed the traits of tiller number and leaf number in non-heading Chinese cabbage were controlled by two major genes and polygenes with dominant, additive and epistasis effects, respectively. The heritability of the two major genes in F2 was over 60%, indicating that the genetic factor was the main influence to the leaf number and tiller number traits. Data from the present study revealed that it had a significant positive correlation between tiller number and leaf number in non-heading Chinese cabbage.