ISSN:
1573-5060
Keywords:
Zea mays
;
maize
;
corn
;
yield
;
kernel weight
;
shelling percentage
;
plant height
;
ear height
;
husk weight
;
cob weight
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Summary White-endosperm (y y y) maize (Zea mays L.) is vital to the maize dry-milling industry. However, a substantially greater acreage in the U.S.A. is planted to yellow (Y Y Y) than white maize. Data on comparative performance of yellow and white maize is scanty, and results are inconclusive. This field study was conducted to provide information on dosage effects of y gene on grain yield, 500-kernel (K) weight, shelling percentage, plant and ear height, and cob weight. Yellow x yellow, yellow x white, and white x white endosperm crosses were made among five yellow and five white endosperm lines of Mo14W × Oh7B parentage. In the material studied, the genetic complement of the white-endosperm parent Mo14W varied from 12.50% to 87.50% across 15 treatments. The effect of Mo14W dosages among treatments was removed through analysis of covariance. If differences among treatment means existed, they were attributed to the y gene. A test of parallelism among regression coefficients (Ho. β1=β2=---β15=βc) indicated that these regressions coefficients for plant height, ear height, 500-K weight, and husk weight showed parallelism across yellow x yellow, yellow x white, and white x white crosses. Differences in plant height were significant in 3 out of 5 comparisons each between Y Y vs. y y, Y y vs. y y, and Y Y vs. Y y. Differences in ear height were significant in 1 of 5 Y Y vs. y y comparisons, in 3 of 5 Y y vs. y y comparisons, and in 1 of 5 Y Y vs. Y y comparisons. Differences in 500-K weight were significant in 4 of 5 Y Y vs. y y, in 2 of 5 Y Y vs. Y y and in 1 of 5 Y y vs. y y comparisons. Differences in husk weight were significant in all the Y Y vs. y y comparisons, in 4 of 5 Y y vs. y y comparisons, and in 1 of 5 Y Y vs. Y y comparisons. An increase in the y gene dosage caused, in general, a significant decrease in grain yield, 500-K weight, plant height, ear height, and husk weight. Shelling percentage was decreased but not appreciably. The Y y combination had a heterotic effect on plant height, ear height, and cob weight. An implication of the findings of this study is that it would be difficult to breed for high-yielding white maize if one used this y gene source. At this time, this is the only source (chromosome 6) available for white-endosperm maize. Non-parrallelism among regression coefficients was noted for shelling percentage, grain yield, and cob weight. Non-parallelism was observed in shelling percentage of the yellow x yellow crosses, cob weight of the yellow x white crosses and in grain yield of both yellow x yellow and yellow x white crosses. In general, an increase in mean Mo14W dosage resulted in increased grain yield. Mo14W dosages generally reduced cob weight in the yellow x white crosses. Shelling percentage increased as the mean Mo14W dosages increased for the yellow x yellow crosses. An increase in Mo14W dosages resulted in an increase in 500-K weight.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00028962
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