Population cross diallel among high oil populations of maize

• Published in: Crop science Vol. 29; no. 3
• Main Authors: Misevic, D. (Maize Res. Inst. "Zemun Polje", Zemun, Yugoslavia), Maric, A, Alexander, D.E, Dumanovic, J, Ratkovic, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.05.1989
• Subjects: ACEITES VEGETALES; CONTENIDO DE HUMEDAD; CROISEMENT DIALLELE; CRUZAMIENTO DIALELO; GENE; GENES; GRAIN; GRAINE; GRANOS; HUILE VEGETALE; LIGNEE CONSANGUINE; LINEAS CONSANGUINEAS; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; SEMILLA; TENEUR EN EAU; VIGOR HIBRIDO; VIGUEUR HYBRIDE; ZEA MAYS
• ISSN: 0011-183X; 1435-0653
• DOI: 10.2135/cropsci1989.0011183X002900030012x

Development of commercially usable high oil maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines is presently restricted to a single gene pool source. To improve the efficiency of high oil maize breeding programs, new pools with favorable alleles for high oil percentage, high yield, and good combining ability should be identified. The objectives of this study were to determine heterotic patterns among high oil populations and to identify superior high oil populations for use in a recurrent selection program. Six maize populations with oil percentages ranging from 5 to 18 were crossed in a diallel mating design. Parents, their crosses, and the single cross B73 X Mo17 were grown in a randomized complete block design experiment in six environments in 1985 and 1986. Percent oil, grain yield, and grain moisture were recorded. Population (vi) and heterosis (hii) effects were significant sources of variation among entries of the diallel for all three traits. However, heterosis effects accounted for less than 1.5% of the among diallel entries sum of squares for oil percentage, indicating that additive genetic effects were much more important than nonadditive. Percent oil and grain moisture showed negative average heterosis. High Oil Illinois Stiff Stalk Composite (RSSSC HO) had the highest and lowest vi effects for grain yield and oil percentage, respectively. Alexho Single Kernel C24 (ASKC24) had the lowest vi effect for yield and the highest vi effect for oil percentage. Highest and lowest specific heterosis (siii) for grain yield were found for RSSSC HO X ASKC24 and RSSSC HO X Yugoslavian High Oil Stiff Stalk Synthetic, respectively. Populations RSSSC HO and ASKC24 could be chosen for a reciprocal recurrent selection program because of their high hii and sii effects for grain yield and high population cross means for oil percentage and grain yield