Principles of Genetics and Breeding

13.1.5. Species transformer

It is a cross breeding between two individuals to develop new progeny. This type of cross breeding programmes are based on a male, having high quality of quantitative characters and its proportion in the new hybrid become higher from generation to generation.

Heterosis effect can be observed if some of the characters appear on a higher level than its original parent.

The special effect of heterosis or hybrid vigour appears in the first hybrid generation and decrease gradually in the second and subsequent generations.

Crossing for heterosis effect has not resulted in successful results in all cases. Sometime F₁ progenies show poorer results than the parental lines. To obtain high productive heterosis hybrids; professional knowledge, good experience in breeding work and to some extent luck factors are essential.