VARIATION AND CORRELATION OF OATS (A VENA SATIVA) 



PART I. STUDIES SHOWING THE EFFECT OF SEASONAL CHANGES ON 

 BIOMETRICAL CONSTANTS i 



{Received for 'publication April 9, 1914) 



H. H. Love and C. E. Leighty^ 



Although considerable effort has been directed toward the breeding of 

 oats, yet little is known concerning the variation and correlation of 

 characters of this crop. Little evidence has been given to show what 

 characters, if any, may be used as a basis for selection, or whether all 

 characters are so variable and so affected by different seasons as to render 

 impossible their use as a means of improvement. The same is true in 

 regard to the correlation of characters. How are they affected by vary- 

 ing conditions from year to year, and is their relationship stable enough 

 to be of importance in selection and improvement? From the study 

 of the methods of oat-breeding, certain questions regarding the variation 

 and correlation of the various characters naturally arise. Some of these 

 are : 



L Do the tallest plants produce the most grain? 



2. Do the tallest plants produce the largest seed? 



3. As the number of culms increases, does the average yield per culm 



increase? 



4. As the number of culms increases, does the average number of 



kernels produced by each culm increase or decrease? 



5. As the number of culms increases, does the average weight of kernel 



increase or decrease? 



6. Are these various relationships stable from year to year? 



In an attempt to answer these questions it is the purpose of this paper 

 to present evidence on the variation and correlation of the various char- 

 acters of oats when the crops have been grown in different seasons, thereby 

 coming under the influence of diverse environmental conditions. 



• Paper No. 49, Department of Plant-breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. 



2 In cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture. 



