Abstract
Because of the growing worldwide demand for maize grain, new alternatives have been sought for breeding of this cereal, e.g., development of polyembryonic varieties, which agronomic performance could positively impact the grain yield per unit area, and nutritional quality. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the phytochemicals present in the embryo and endosperm of grain from maize families with high, low, and null polyembryony frequency, which were planted at different locations, and (2) state the relationship between these compounds and seed germination. The extracted phytochemicals from corn were identified by HPLC-MS. The results showed that the genotype with the highest presence of phytochemicals was the brachytic population with high polyembryony called “BAP”, which also required less water during the germination process. The number of phytochemicals in both embryo and endosperm tissues was not related to the sowing location where they came from or the type of polyembryony. The number of different phytochemicals depended on the grain tissue from where they were extracted. The chemical compounds found in the different maize tissues were related to the development of the plant, either in roots or nibs because these are mainly associated with the lignin synthesis.
Highlights
Maize is one of the three most important cereals around the world due to its economic impact, grain yield per hectare and total grain production, having a grain production of more than 1,147 million tons in 2018 [1,2]
2.1.1 Polyembryony Effect on Seed Germination In this trial, seeds of five genotypes were used: (1) 2 families with high polyembryony frequency [8], (2) 2 families with low polyembryony (G4.16-2 and G4.1-2, both with a polyembryony frequency of less than 40%) [12] and (3) a non-polyembryonic maize genotype used as a control (“Garañón”, a commercial hybrid from Asgrow)
The experiment was established under a randomized complete block design with three replications
Summary
Maize is one of the three most important cereals around the world due to its economic impact, grain yield per hectare and total grain production, having a grain production of more than 1,147 million tons in 2018 [1,2]. Maize is one of the main sources of protein and carbohydrates [3]. One of the phenotypic traits that can increase production and nutritional quality of this commodity is polyembryony [4], since plants with this trait have a prolific seed, which may generate multiple plants per seed [5], promoting the emission of two to four radicles, and these can come out separately or together [6]. Polyembryony is classified as single or multiple depending on the number of individuals generated during development [7]. For genotypes with this trait, the number of seeds necessary to cover one surface area unit can be reduced [4], which may reduce cropping costs. The expression of polyembryony has been observed in greenhouse plantings at a frequency greater than 75%, while, in
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
