Genetic variability among Turkish pop, flint and dent corn (Zea mays L. spp. mays) races: Morphological and agronomic traits

• Published in: Euphytica Vol. 128; no. 2; pp. 173 - 182
• Main Authors: ILARSLAN, R, KAYA, Z, KANDEMIR, I, BRETTING, P. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.01.2002; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Corn; Crop science; Dehydrogenase; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Genetics. Plant material; Genetic diversity; Genetic resources, diversity; Genetics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Plant material; Traditional farming; Vegetables; Asia; Mediterranean Basin; Turkey; Agronomic character; Morphological variation; Monocotyledones; Genetic variability; Zea mays; Genetic resource; Isozyme; corn accessions; Cereal crop; Discriminant function; Canonical analysis; Turkey; Gramineae; agronomic traits; Angiospermae; Race; Spermatophyta; canonical discriminant function analysis
• ISSN: 0014-2336; 1573-5060
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1020896805265

32 Turkish corn accessions representing different climatic, geographic and topographic areas in Turkey were identified. Genetic variation and its pattern in three corn races (pop, flint and dent) included 32 accessions were investigated using 25 morphological and agronomic traits. Vegetative, ear and kernel related traits were significantly varied both among races and accessions within races. Variance component due to races and accessions within race were statistically significant, but the variance components due to accessions were generally made up large component of total variance and ranged from 17.17% in kernel length to 82.75% in tassel length. There were also strong and mostly positive correlations between studied agronomic traits as well as between agronomic traits and isoenzyme loci. These correlations were explained by the traditional farming practices and enzyme specificity with flint accessions since the enzyme systems such as Alcohol dehydrogenase (locus 1), Malate dehydrogenase enzyme (loci 2-3) and 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (locus-1) are generally considered to be the characteristics of flint corn race. Canonical discriminant function analysis with twenty-five morphological and agronomic traits revealed that first two canonical discriminant variables explained 68% of total variation among accessions. Two Canonical variables, in which kernel related traits were heavily weighted, correctly classify the three corn races - indicating that Turkish corn accessions maintained their racial characteristics with agronomic and morphological traits.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]