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Analysis of growth and yield of inbred and crossbred maize
Author(s) -
ALLISON J. C. S.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1971.tb04640.x
Subject(s) - biology , dry matter , hybrid , sowing , grain yield , inbred strain , horticulture , agronomy , zoology , biochemistry , gene
SUMMARY In experiments with young widely spaced plants grown in sand culture, net assimilation rate ( E ) of two single‐cross hybrids, N x S and W x M, was respectively > 20% and 13–19% greater than that of their parental inbreds, N and S, and W and M. Relative growth rate ( R ) of W x M exceeded that of W or M, and R of N x S exceeded that of S, but not that of N because leaf area ratio ( F ) of this inbred was greater than that of N x S. E of N x S was about 10% greater than that of an open‐pollinated variety, OP. When the size of plants of N x S was varied by sowing seeds of different sizes, E was little affected but R increased as plant size decreased, because F increased with decrease in plant size. In a field experiment total dry weights at final harvest of N, S and OP were respectively 66, 46 and 98% of that of N x S; their respective grain weights were 47, 20 and 70% of that of N x S. N, S and OP flowered later than N x S and accumulated respectively 56, 26 and 89% as much dry matter after flowering as N x S. Grain formed 71, 65, 83 and 65% of the dry matter accumulated after flowering in N, S, N x S and OP, respectively. Up to about the time of flowering, E and R of the relatively small N and S plants were greater than those of N x S plants, but later E of N and S was smaller than that of N x S. Before flowering, when leaf area of OP was less than that of N x S, E was greater in OP than in N x S. After flowering leaf area was greater, and E smaller, in OP than in N x S.