Conventional breeding has produced low levels of yield increase in lentils (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medik.) in recent decades. As hybrids have led to large increases in yield in other crops, we examined the possibility of using hybrids in lentils. In 52 hybrids between Australian commercial cultivars and lines from a global collection of cultivated and wild accessions, we found 15 of the hybrids had seed yield hybrid vigor, with better parent heterosis (BPH) gains ranging from 10.4 to 125%. Flowering time, seed size, cotyledon color, and branch number were important but not critical for the level of hybrid vigor in seed yield. Plant height at 28 days post sowing (dps) could be an indicator of seed yield vigor of hybrids grown in glasshouse conditions. In the absence of male sterile lines in lentils, we used high-yielding hybrid combinations in a program of repeated selfing and selection to produce stable, high-yielding lines (Hybrid Mimics) with grain yields similar to the F1 hybrids, avoiding the limitation of the hybrid advantage to the F1 generation. Seed yield increased in successive generations (F3–F5); yields of the F4 plants were close to that of the F1 hybrid. Our results indicate that there is potential for hybrid seed yield vigor in lentil to be accessed through hybrid mimic selection. This is a breeding method not dependent on male sterility that can be initiated with a low number of hand-pollinated hybrids. Hybrid mimic breeding may be applicable to a wide range of crops.

中文翻译：

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为小扁豆育种捕获杂交活力

常规育种导致小扁豆（Lens culinaris ssp. culinarisMedik.) 近几十年来。由于杂交种已导致其他作物产量大幅增加，我们研究了在扁豆中使用杂交种的可能性。在来自全球栽培和野生种质收集的澳大利亚商业品种和品系之间的 52 个杂交种中，我们发现其中 15 个杂交种具有种子产量杂交活力，具有更好的亲本杂种优势 (BPH) 增益，范围从 10.4% 到 125%。开花时间、种子大小、子叶颜色和分枝数对种子产量的杂种活力水平很重要，但不是关键。播种后 28 天的株高 (dps) 可能是温室条件下生长的杂种的种子产量活力的指标。在小扁豆中没有雄性不育系的情况下，我们在重复自交和选择的程序中使用高产杂交组合以产生稳定的，高产品系（Hybrid Mimics），籽粒产量与F1杂种相似，避免了杂种优势对F1代的限制。种子产量连续几代增加（F3-F5）；F4植株的产量接近于F1杂种。我们的研究结果表明，通过杂交模拟选择可以获得小扁豆杂交种子产量活力的潜力。这是一种不依赖于雄性不育的育种方法，可以用少量的人工授粉杂交种开始。杂交模拟育种可能适用于广泛的作物。我们的研究结果表明，通过杂交模拟选择可以获得小扁豆杂交种子产量活力的潜力。这是一种不依赖于雄性不育的育种方法，可以用少量的人工授粉杂交种开始。杂交模拟育种可能适用于广泛的作物。我们的研究结果表明，通过杂交模拟选择可以获得小扁豆杂交种子产量活力的潜力。这是一种不依赖于雄性不育的育种方法，可以用少量的人工授粉杂交种开始。杂交模拟育种可能适用于广泛的作物。