Premium
How Many Parents Give the Highest Yield in Predicted Synthetic and Composite Populations of Maize?
Author(s) -
Kutka F. J.,
Smith M. E.
Publication year - 2007
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/cropsci2006.12.0802sc
Subject(s) - diallel cross , biology , zea mays , grain yield , agronomy , yield (engineering) , open pollination , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , hybrid , composite material , materials science , pollination , pollen
Some U.S. farmers are still interested in open‐pollinated (OP) maize ( Zea mays L.), but most varieties are low yielding. How would one develop high‐yielding OP varieties, and what are their commercial prospects? To answer this question, we analyzed data from published diallel experiments using Wright's equation. There were seven diallels with inbreds and 14 with populations. The number of inbreds needed to form high yielding synthetics was on average from five to eight lines. The highest predicted yields for composites were on average with three to seven populations. The potential of synthetics and composites as OP varieties in the USA has not been fully examined, though these would probably not be economical for grain in the U.S. Corn Belt. However, their yields may show improvement over current OP varieties and they may be commercially viable in some limited circumstances.