The Impact of Allelic State of dhn1 and rsp41 Genes on Grain Moisture Content of Maize Hybrids Within Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) for Drought Resistance

Abstract

AbstractThis study was carried out in 2019 and 2020 in pilot plots of Research Institute of Agrarian Business (Vesele village, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine). Four hundred sixteen maize hybrids were studied. The specific allele combinations of dhn1 and rsp41 genes in parents of maize hybrids were analyzed. According to obtained results the different combinations of favorable alleles were identified. All testers, which were used for specific combining ability (SCA) effects assessment, had various allele combinations of the dhn1 and rsp41 genes. Studied maize lines had different rates of drought tolerance according to allelic state of dhn1 and rsp41 genes. The estimation of SCA effects allowed to detect the optimal ratio of presence the favorable alleles and values of harvest grain moisture content in studied parents of maize of three-way cross hybrids. Thus, the low SCA effects of grain moisture content of testers were observed in A/G*A/A and A/G*A/G genotypes in 2019–2020. A/A*G/A*G/G, A/G*A/G*G/G, A/A*A/G*A/G, A/G*G/A*G/G and G/A*A/A*G/G of three-way crossed hybrids genotypes provided the low SCA effects during studied years. It was shown that allele combinations of the dhn1 and rsp41 genes. It was determined the greatest impact on SCA effects of grain moisture content both of testers and modified (three-way crossed) hybrids was allele combination—64 and 51% respectively.KeywordsDrought toleranceMaizeCombining abilityMASFavorable alleles