Diallel study of open-pollinated maize varieties in Trinidad |
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| Authors: | D Spaner R A I Brathwaite D E Mather |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Plant Science, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada;(2) Crop Science Department, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago |
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| Abstract: | Summary In Trinidad, maize (Zea mays L.) is primarily harvested in the immature stage as green ears for human consumption. The purchase of popular imported hybrid seed has become a substantial component of the economic inputs of maize production. The objectives of this study were to investigate combining abilities and heterotic patterns among available open-pollinated varieties and to assess correlations among five important traits: time to silking, plant height, grain yield, ear size, and marketable ears per hectare. General combining ability was significant for all traits. Specific combining ability was significant for all traits except ear size. Three intervarietal crosses showed moderate levels of heterosis (10–27%), and several yielded similarly to the control hybrids, Pioneer X304 and Pioneer 3078. The cross Acid Soil Tolerant 1991 SA-3 X ICTA Farm Corn was selected as the most suitable base population for mass selection. Phenotypic and genotypic correlations among the five traits studied were all positive and significant. Populations which flowered early were shorter and yielded less than the late flowering and taller populations and population crosses included in this study. |
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| Keywords: | green maize general combining ability specific combining ability genotypic correlations environmental correlations Zea mays |
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