Читать книгу Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding - George Acquaah - Страница 150

One gene may have a major effect on one trait, and a minor effect on another. There are many genes in plants without any known effects besides the fact that they modify the expression of a major gene by either enhancing or diminishing it. The effect of modifier genes may be subtle, such as slight variations in traits like shape and shades of color of flowers, or variation in aroma and taste in fruits. Those trait modifications are of concern to plant breeders as they conduct breeding programs to improve quantitative traits involving many major traits of interest.