Question

Hntrss · May 21, 2017

Thanks to Tville, I've saved seeds for the first time. One variety I saved for a friend was Large Red Cherry. I started a dozen or so and about 30% came up potato leaf! There was no mix up, I can only assume a cross occurred. I am growing a couple out just to see what I get, but in the future should I bag blossoms? And if so any pointers would be appreciated greatly!! Thanks

Hntrss · May 21, 2017

These are all LRC and if you look you can see one cup has a RL and PL .

PhilaGardener · May 21, 2017

Great that you are noticing this! Potato leaf is a recessive trait. It is likely that last year's plant already was bee crossed - it would have carried both alleles (RL,PL) but had regular leaves since that trait is dominant. This year's plants would be the next generation (F2) and 25% PL is the Mendelian ratio (in a small sample size, the number will deviate a bit, hence your 30%). That also means that some of your RL plants this year (also 25%) have two copies of the RL allele and will breed true, and others (50%) will have copies of both RL and PL and will continue to segregate.

These are likely not the only genes that are remixing, so I would grow out all the individuals and compare their fruit. It's all a matter of taste!

bower · May 21, 2017

Spot on, PhilaGardener, the seed grown last year had to be already crossed. The cross didn't show in the F1 (last year's) because red and regular leaf are dominant traits.

If last year's fruit were strictly cherries, ie had only two locules (seed cavities) then the cross was probably to another cherry. Small size and two locule fruit I believe is technically 'dominant', so a cross between a cherry and a larger fruit will have a small fruited F1, but some of the size related traits are dominant or 'penetrant', LC or locule number for example can show up in the F1 as a small fruit with more than two locules, depending on other shape genes present.

Growing out crosses is a lot of fun, always full of surprises.

Hntrss · May 21, 2017

See - I learn something new every day. I am growing out the PL in 3 locations , only time will tell!

May 21, 2017	#1
Hntrss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: New York Posts: 92	Question Thanks to Tville, I've saved seeds for the first time. One variety I saved for a friend was Large Red Cherry. I started a dozen or so and about 30% came up potato leaf! There was no mix up, I can only assume a cross occurred. I am growing a couple out just to see what I get, but in the future should I bag blossoms? And if so any pointers would be appreciated greatly!! Thanks

May 21, 2017	#3
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Great that you are noticing this! Potato leaf is a recessive trait. It is likely that last year's plant already was bee crossed - it would have carried both alleles (RL,PL) but had regular leaves since that trait is dominant. This year's plants would be the next generation (F2) and 25% PL is the Mendelian ratio (in a small sample size, the number will deviate a bit, hence your 30%). That also means that some of your RL plants this year (also 25%) have two copies of the RL allele and will breed true, and others (50%) will have copies of both RL and PL and will continue to segregate. These are likely not the only genes that are remixing, so I would grow out all the individuals and compare their fruit. It's all a matter of taste!

May 21, 2017	#4
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	Spot on, PhilaGardener, the seed grown last year had to be already crossed. The cross didn't show in the F1 (last year's) because red and regular leaf are dominant traits. If last year's fruit were strictly cherries, ie had only two locules (seed cavities) then the cross was probably to another cherry. Small size and two locule fruit I believe is technically 'dominant', so a cross between a cherry and a larger fruit will have a small fruited F1, but some of the size related traits are dominant or 'penetrant', LC or locule number for example can show up in the F1 as a small fruit with more than two locules, depending on other shape genes present. Growing out crosses is a lot of fun, always full of surprises.