Reciprocal recurrent selection for obtaining water-deficit tolerant maize progeny

Raissa Olmo Lacerda Pirovani,Geferson Rocha Santos,Rafael Nunes de Almeida,Messias Gonzaga Pereira,Fernanda Vargas Valadares,Lázaro Renilton Emerick Silva,José Dias de Souza Neto,Ana Paula Cândido Gabriel Berilli,Marcelo Vivas,Monique Moreira Moulin,Sávio da Silva Berilli

doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20210162

Raissa Olmo Lacerda Pirovani, Geferson Rocha Santos + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20210162

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Abstract

ABSTRACT: In view of the need to increase genetic variability to obtain materials with a significant capacity to drought tolerance, this study conducted a cycle of a reciprocal recurrent selection of full-sib families of maize. To this end, 64 full-sib families of maize were evaluated in two environments according to their morpho-agronomic data in a randomized block design with two replicates. It were analyzed of Male flowering (MF); Female flowering (FF); Flowering interval (IF); days for flowering (DF); Plant height (PH); Ear height (EH); number of plants at the Stand (NPS); Number of broken plant (NBrP); Number of bedded plants (NBeP); Strawing (St); Ear length (EL); Ear diameter (ED); Ear number (EN); Prolificacy (Pr); Number of diseased ears (NDE); Number of ears attacked by pests (NEP); Ear weight (EW); Yield (YIE) and Total Chlorophyll Index (TCI). The analysis of variance was performed by the F test at 5% significance level, and also the evaluation of genetic parameters. Regarding morpho-agronomic data, the analysis of variance and the analysis of genetic parameters showed that there was no interaction genotype x environment with regard to the genetic variability among the families under study. Lastly, the final selection of the superior genotypes was made on the basis of the ranking of the 40 most productive families, from which, combined with the molecular data, the 30 most productive, most drought-tolerant, and most genetically diverse ones were selected to compose the next cycle of recurrent maize selection aiming water-stress tolerance.

Highlights

Among the environmental factors, water deficit is one of the major stresses limiting agricultural production at a global level (SILVA et al, 2011)
For the morpho-agronomic evaluation of full-sib families, the following traits were analyzed: Male flowering (MF); Female flowering (FF); Flowering interval (IF); days for flowering (DF); Plant height (PH); Ear height (EH); number of plants at the Stand (NPS); Number of broken plant (NBrP); Number of bedded plants (NBeP) ; Strawing (St) ; Ear length (EL); Ear diameter (ED); Ear number (EN); Prolificacy (Pr); Number of diseased ears (NDE); Number of ears attacked by pests(NEP); Ear weightb (EW); Yield (YIE), estimated on the dehusked ear weight in kg, adjusted to a projection of 10,000 m2 and 100-grain weight (W100HG)
Except for the NBeP and NDE traits, which obtained values considered very high, the results demonstrate that, in general, there was an adequate experimental precision according to the classification proposed by Scapim et al (1995)

Summary

Introduction

Water deficit is one of the major stresses limiting agricultural production at a global level (SILVA et al, 2011). A significant difference among the genotypes was reported for most of the traits evaluated, thereby showing that there is genetic variability in the genotypes under study; this factor is of primary importance to obtain genetic gains in breeding programs (Table 1).

Results

Conclusion