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Epistasis in Maize ( Zea mays L.): IV. Crosses Among Lines Selected for Superior Intervariety Single Cross Performances 1
Author(s) -
Stuber C. W.,
Moll R. H.
Publication year - 1974
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/cropsci1974.0011183x001400020044x
Subject(s) - epistasis , zea mays , biology , yield (engineering) , inbred strain , genotype , agronomy , genetics , gene , physics , thermodynamics
Five quantitative traits in maize ( Zea mays L.) were investigated to evaluate the statistical significance of epistasis as well as its importance in hybrid predictions in 18 sets of single, three‐way, and double crosses. Parental lines for the sets were selectively grouped based on superior specific combining ability evaluated in interpopulation single‐cross combinations. Although variability analyses failed to detect significant epistatic effects in yield and lodging, mean comparisons showed small but significant epistatic contributions in yield, ear number, plant height, and ear height. Comparisons of the relative importance of errors caused by epistatic effects with those errors caused by genotype by environmental interaction effects in predicting hybrid performances were made. For yield, ear number, and ear height, predictions based on data from single environments showed greater discrepancies due to genotype by environmental interaction effects than to epistatic effects. Also, for yield and ear number, the use of single crosses to predict three‐way and double crosses in other environments was more reliable than the use of observed performances of three‐way and double crosses to predict their respective performances in other environments.