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Diallel Analysis of Leaf Area Heterosis and Relationships to Yield in Maize
Author(s) -
Johnson G. R.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1973.0011183x001300020009x
Subject(s) - diallel cross , leaf area index , hybrid , heterosis , canopy , biology , agronomy , population , mathematics , zea mays , botany , demography , sociology
Estimates of leaf area index (LAI) at individual leaf positions on 10 commercially adapted maize ( Zea mays L.) inbred lines and their diallel set of crosses, and yields of the F 1 hybrids, were obtained in order that the mode of inheritance of LAI and the relationship of LAI and distribution of LAI within the canopy to yield could be examined. Leaf area estimates were obtained from five randomly chosen plants per plot in an experiment in which the parent inbreds and F 1 hybrids were arranged in two randomized blocks of one‐row plots, while yields of the F 1 hybrids were obtained from an experiment in which the crosses were grown in two‐row plots arranged in a 7 by 7 simple lattice design in two randomized blocks. Row spacing and population in both experiments were 76 cm and 60,000 plants/ha, respectively. Multiple regression models were used to compute analyses of LAI heterotic effects and the relationship of LAI to yield. The results of the study indicated that: (i) LAI was inherited in a highly heterotic manner; (ii) distribution of leaf area within the canopy accounted for a significant portion of the variation in yield beyond that accounted for by total LAI; and (iii) variation in leaf area near the canopy extremes accounted for most of the yield variation attributable to leaf area distribution.