Abstract
Drought is a key maize (Zea mays L.) production constraint in sub-Saharan Africa. Fourteen, fifteen, and twenty-five extra-early maturing maize cultivars, with varying Striga resistance and drought and low soil N tolerance, were developed from 1995 to 2000 (Period 1), 2001 to 2006 (Period 2), and 2007 to 2012 (Period 3), respectively. The objectives of this study were to examine yield gains in the cultivars and to investigate inter-trait relationships and yield stability under six drought and 17 rainfed conditions in West Africa from 2013 to 2016. Annual rate of yield increase across cultivars was 0.034 (3.28%) and 0.068 Mg ha−1 (2.25%), whereas yield gains per period were 0.17 and 0.38 Mg ha−1 under drought and rainfed environments, respectively. Yield gains under drought and rainfed environments were related to prolonged flowering period, increased plant and ear heights, improved stalk lodging, and ear and plant aspects, whereas delayed leaf senescence and increased number of ears per plant accompanied yield improvement under drought only. Ear aspect and number of ears per plant were primary contributors to yield and could be used as selection criteria for yield enhancement under drought and rainfed conditions. High-yielding and stable cultivars across all environments based on additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) biplot included ‘2004 TZEE-Y Pop STR C4’ and ‘TZEE-W Pop STR BC2 C0’ of Period 2 and ‘2009 TZEE-W STR’, ‘TZEE-Y STR 106’, ‘TZEE-W STR 107’, and ‘TZEE-W DT C0 STR C5’ of Period 3. These cultivars could be commercialized to improve food self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa.
Highlights
Drought is a key maize (Zea mays L.) production constraint in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
High yielding and stable cultivars across all environments based on additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) biplot included 2004 TZEE-Y Pop STR C4, and TZEE-W Pop STR BC2 C0 of Period 2 and 2009 TZEE-W STR, TZEE-Y STR 106, TZEE-W STR 107, and TZEE-W DT C0 STR C5 of Period 3
Under optimal conditions (0.068 Mg ha–1), it can be concluded that considerable progress has been made during the last three decades in the genetic enhancement of extra-early maturing maize cultivars for drought tolerance in West and Central Africa (WCA)
Summary
Drought is a key maize (Zea mays L.) production constraint in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). High yielding and stable cultivars across all environments based on additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) biplot included 2004 TZEE-Y Pop STR C4, and TZEE-W Pop STR BC2 C0 of Period 2 and 2009 TZEE-W STR, TZEE-Y STR 106, TZEE-W STR 107, and TZEE-W DT C0 STR C5 of Period 3 These cultivars could be commercialized to improve food self-sufficiency in SSA. The development and commercialization of extra-early maize that matures in 80-85 days have made it possible for maize to spread into the savannas of WCA This has resulted in the expansion of the crop and rapid replacement of the traditional crops, including the indigenous sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum), in the savannas of WCA. Global warming, which is usually associated with irregular rainfall patterns, calls for an urgent and effective genetic intervention to increase grain yield and tolerance to drought stress (Badu-Apraku and Fakorede, 2017)
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