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Back to Study: From landrace to modern hybrid broccoli: the genom...
quantitative
Analysis v1
0
Pro
37
Against

Modern broccoli’s genes stay linked together over much longer stretches of DNA than in purple cauliflower, meaning breeders have been mating very similar plants for generations.

Scientific Claim

Modern hybrid broccoli has a 13.5-fold reduction in linkage disequilibrium decay distance compared to violet cauliflower, indicating stronger selection and inbreeding in hybrids.

Original Statement

“Linkage decay to background levels was substantially different by subpopulation... Calabrese hybrids (4.12 kbp) and violet cauliflower (52.1 kbp).”

From study:From landrace to modern hybrid broccoli: the genomic and morphological domestication syndrome within a diverse B. oleracea collection.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim reports a measured difference in LD decay without implying causation. 'Has' is appropriate for describing observed genomic patterns.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (0)

0
No supporting evidence found

Contradicting (1)

37
37

From landrace to modern hybrid broccoli: the genomic and morphological domestication syndrome within a diverse B. oleracea collection.

Cross-Sectional Study

The study shows that modern broccoli has lost a lot of genetic variety due to breeding, but it never measured or compared how far genetic traits stay linked in broccoli vs. cauliflower, so the 13.5-fold claim can't be confirmed.

Source Study

From landrace to modern hybrid broccoli: the genomic and morphological domestication syndrome within a diverse B. oleracea collection.

Score: 37
DOI: 10.1038/s41438-020-00375-0

Similar Assertions

The broccoli we buy in stores today has much less genetic variety than the old-fashioned types grown in southern Italy, meaning farmers have lost a lot of natural diversity by breeding for uniformity.

37
0
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Sprouting broccoli has way more unique genetic variants than store-bought broccoli, making it a treasure trove for breeders trying to add new traits.

37
0
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Purple cauliflower has more perfectly uniform florets than modern broccoli — a trait breeders might want to copy into broccoli to make it look better.

0
37
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Modern broccoli takes almost two months less to grow than sprouting broccoli, which means farmers can harvest it quicker and plant more crops per year.

0
37
71%

Modern broccoli has much smaller individual florets than older varieties, which makes the head look tighter and more uniform — something breeders have been selecting for.

0
37
71%