EVALUATION OF MAIZE SOURCE MATERIAL BY QUALITATIVE GRAIN INDICATORS

Abstract

The basis of a complex and long process of creating new maize hybrids is the selection of parent components that can serve as sources of improved biochemical and economically valuable traits. Thus, depending on the peculiarities of the directions of maize grain processing, the production requires hybrids with a high starch content, and in the starch itself – amylose or amylopectin. When used for fodder purposes, high protein content is a must. This distribution of hybrids by areas of use will increase the profitability of production and reduce the cost of final products. The article presents the evaluation results of self-pollinating maize lines collection, which has 38 samples. The collection includes selection samples of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Plant Breeding. V.Ya. Yuriev NAAS and lines of Canadian and Russian origin which are obtained from the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine. Field research was conducted according to generally accepted methods in the research fields of the Department of genetics, breeding and seed production. prof. M.O. Zelensky National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine of the production unit "Agronomic Research Station", which is located in Vasylkiv district of Kyiv region laboratory. The soil of the experimental area is typical, low-humus, coarse-grained-medium-loam chernozem in terms of granulometric composition. Weather conditions were favorable for maize growing. Determination of quality indicators of maize grain was carried out on the «Infratec 1241 Grain Analyzer». The samples were divided into groups according to the content of quality indicators in the grain. In terms of protein content, two groups with high and medium content were formed, and the total variation of the indicator ranged from 10.0 to 13.8%. According to the starch content, the samples were also divided into two groups with very high and high content, and the percentage varied in the range of 66.5-71.8%. The range of oil content in the grain was in the range of 3.0-5.9% and, accordingly, three groups with high, medium and low content were formed. Selected inbred lines according to a set of indicators that serve as analyzers in the scheme of tester crosses to determine the degree of inheritance of specific biochemical traits. Key words: corn, inbred line, hybrid, biochemical parameters, amylose, amylopectin, tester, combination ability.