Question

A selective breeding program is trying to develop an agricultural plant with decreased stem length to aid in mechanical harvesting. The mean stem height of the population is 36 cm while the mean stem height of the parents is 30 cm and the mean stem height of the offspring is 33 cm. What is the realized heritability for stem height in this crop?

Answer 1

The realized heritability for stem height in this crop is 0.5.

Step-by-step explanation:

The realized heritability for stem height in this crop can be calculated using the following formula:

Heritability = (mean of offspring - mean of parents) / (mean of population - mean of parents)

Plugging in the given values, we get:

Heritability = (33 cm - 30 cm) / (36 cm - 30 cm)

Simplifying further, we have:

Heritability = 3 cm / 6 cm = 0.5

Therefore, the realized heritability for stem height in this crop is 0.5.