Effects of recurrent selection for grain yield on plant and ear traits of five maize populations

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) breeders are interested in the effects of recurrent selection for grain yield on other traits. Changes in plant traits could alter agronomic acceptability of the populations under selection, and observed improvements in grain yield could be explained by changes in ear traits. We evaluated changes in combining ability for plant and ear traits of BS10(FR), BS11(FR), BSSS(R), BSCB1(R), and Lancaster Surecrop associated with recurrent selection for grain yield. Recurrent selection procedures generally did not change plant and ear heights or date of silking of testcrosses of populations or of the population crosses, BS10(FR)×BSS11(FR) and BSSS(R)×BSCB1(R). Grain yield improvements, however, were associated with increases in ear-sink size.