The breeding history of Picton oats and observations on the behaviour of certain oat crosses

Abstract

A general account of investigations carried out at the Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, on winter oats was published by Hunter (1935). In it brief mention is made of the origin of a series of oats designated the ‘ex 109/1 series’. It is the purpose of this article to give a more detailed account of the origin and behaviour of this series, from which the winter variety Picton was selected, and to detail a further number of anomalous features which have arisen in the course of breeding work at Cambridge.