Response to Selection for Reduced Anthesis-Silking Interval in Four Algerian Maize Populations

Maysoun Benchikh-Lehocine,Abderahmane Djemel,Rosa Ana Malvar,Pedro Revilla

doi:10.3390/agronomy11020382

Maysoun Benchikh-Lehocine, Abderahmane Djemel + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020382

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Abstract

Drought is the main constraint to maize production in the Mediterranean area. This is the first report of breeding temperate maize populations from the Algerian desert. The objective of this study was to evaluate response to selection for reduced anthesis-silking interval (ASI) in Algerian maize under drought and control conditions. Three cycles of selection for reduced ASI were carried out in four populations under control and drought conditions, and the breeding program was evaluated under both conditions. Selection under drought was more efficient than under control conditions, particularly for the LOM and TAO populations. Selection for low ASI reduced ASI and days per cycle for BTM and IGS, respectively, under drought conditions. Selection for ASI reduced anthesis in BTM, when selected under drought and evaluated under control conditions. Significant yield increase was observed for BTM under optimal conditions. Significant genetic gain for yield was observed for the population LOM under drought. Therefore, the improved Algerian populations BTM and TAO could be a novel source for reducing ASI and for earlier flowering time as a mechanism for avoiding drought. Furthermore, we propose these populations as sources to develop tolerant inbred lines and to find quantitative trait loci for drought tolerance.

Highlights

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in the world (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC)
Algerian maize responded positively to selection because the coefficients of regression for anthesis-silking interval (ASI) were negative and significant for all populations evaluated under drought conditions, and for BTM and IGS when selected under drought and evaluated under control conditions
Data from the present report suggest that selection for reduced ASI under drought conditions may result in an increase in yield (LOM = 0.06 t ha−1 per cycle) under drought

Summary

Introduction

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in the world (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC (accessed on 1 February 2021)). Maize is more susceptible to drought under increasing temperature than all other cereals due essentially to the separation of male and female flowers [2,6,7,8]. Maize sensitivity to drought and heat stress may result in yield losses of 15–20% per year [4,5,10]. Such losses is expected to worsen with climate change, in developing countries with an increasing demand for maize [4,11,12,13]. To meet future demands of the growing world population, the selection of high yielding and drought tolerant maize cultivars are considered the most economically viable solution [3,14,15]

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