Chlorophyll content and leaf area correlated with corn (Zea mays) yield components in F<sub>1</sub> hybrids

Abstract

Chlorophyll content and leaf area are important biochemical and biophysical regulators of water, energy and carbon exchange during photosynthesis. The present study was carried out during 2020 (autumn) and 2021 (spring) at the agronomy experimental station, College of Agricultural Engineering Science, Salahaddin University, Erbil, Iraq to identify the relationship of chlorophyll and leaf area with yield and yield-related characteristics among 8 introduced corn (Zea mays L.) F1 hybrids. Results demonstrated that the 8 hybrids were significantly different from each other for the number of kernels/row, number of leaves/ear, chlorophyll content and leaf area. Hybrid-by-year interaction was significant for ear yield, ear length, ear diameter, number of rows/ear, number of kernels/row and number of leaves/ear. No relationships phenotypically and genetically were found among chlorophyll with yield and yield-related traits in both the years. However, phenotypic and genotypic correlations were significant between leaf area and yield contributing traits in autumn 2020. Short vectors or obtuse angles by biplot analysis showed the same direction for correlation analysis. In conclusion, more information in future plant breeding programmes at phenotypic and DNA levels are required to represent the relationship between chlorophyll content with yield and yield-related traits. However, different correlations between leaf areas in the two growing years might be owing to the fluctuated local environmental factors during the plant growth period and/or no adaptation of new hybrids to the local environments.