有些作物受基因控制抽苔开花过早,这一特性在大多数情况下都是不受欢迎的,但美国农业研究服务局在加州萨里那斯的一位科学家 E.J.Ryder 却把这种不良的基因做为加快植物育种速度的有价值的工具。他认为含有早开花基因的植株能在回交育种中用来转移目的基因,并缩短实现育种目标所需的时间。Ryder 在这项育种计划中的目标是将生菜的抗花叶病基因转移到感病的商品品种如 Prizehead。 Some crops are prematurely bolted by genetic controls, a feature most unwelcome, but EJ Ryder, a scientist at the American Academy of Agricultural Research Service in Salinas, Calif., Genes serve as a valuable tool to speed up plant breeding. He believes that plants that contain early flowering genes can be used to transfer the gene of interest in backcross breeding and shorten the time needed to reach breeding goals. Ryder’s goal in this breeding program is to transfer lettuce anti-mosaic genes to susceptible varieties such as Prizehead.