New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Evaluation of variability in single plants of Boronia megastigma
using plant and chemical criteria

P. E. SMALE¹
N. G. PORTER²
D. N. BURROWS¹
M. N. NELSON¹
J. P. LAMMERINK²

1New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Riwaka Research Centre
RD 3, Motueka, New Zealand
2New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Private Bag 4704
Lincoln
Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract  A seedling population of Boronia megastigma (Nees) plants was established to explore the extent and degree of variation in plant and chemical characteristics and to select plants of superior performance in the production of aromatic concretes for commercial use. Obvious variations between selected individual plants were found in plant habit, growth vigour, flower yield, ease of flower removal for harvesting, concrete yield, [[beta]]-Ionone and monoterpene content, and the proportion of "volatile" components in the concrete. Selection of elite plants on the basis of so many different criteria is difficult. Quality indices were calculated by incorporating the criteria for each plant into a single value that could be used to rank the plants on plant, chemical, or combined criteria. Ranking using plant and chemical indices gave very different results. Ranking using a quality index that incorporates all criteria offers the opportunity to apply differing weights to individual characteristics. Examples of weighting different criteria are given and the use of weighting is discussed.

Keywords  Boronia megastigma (Nees); selection; concrete; yield; composition; flowers; [[beta]]-Ionone

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1995, Vol. 23: 307-313

0114-0671/95/2303-0307 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (563K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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