Genetic Analysis of Some Quality Traits in Maize

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during the 2015 – 2016 growing seasons in Konya, Turkey. Seven inbred lines, 3 testers and 21 F 1 progenies that were produced by line x tester mating design in 2015 were used as materials.\xa0 Seeds of each genotype were sown by hand to 5 m long rows according to “Randomized Complete Block Design” with three replications with spacing of 70 × 20 cm in second week of May in 2016. Each replicate plot was consisted of two 5 m long rows. Corn cobs of parentages and crosses were harvested manually in October when the moisture content of the grains was approximately 20%. Laboratory analyses were performed during the 2017 – 2018 with seeds of 7 inbred lines, 3 testers and 21 hybrid maize combinations. Crude oil content (COC), crude protein content (CPC), hectolitre weight (HW), starch content (SC) and thousand grain weight (TGW) traits of each genotype were determined. The variance compounds of the population, general combining abilities (GCAs) of the parentages and specific combining abilities (SCAs) of the progenies were calculated. Line 3.2 (CPC; 0.448*, HW; 8.794*, TGW; 24.805**), line 3.4 (CPC; 0.054*, COC; 1.019**, HW; 23.905**), line 14.21 (CPC; 0.176**, COC; 1.297**, HW; 18.349**), line 3.6 (COC; 1.441**, SC; 2.145**), line 14.2 (SC; 1.675**, HW; 21.460**), line 14.26 (SC; 2.566**, TGW; 35.550**) and line 14.20 (CPC; 0.767**) had significant and positive GCAs at several properties. Our results suggested that this population is suitable for developing progenies with appropriate quality traits.