Open-pollinated Varieties Research Articles

Evaluation of agronomic and grain yield of elite hybrids maize in south-western Nigeria

The poor grain yield of maize obtained among Nigeria small holder farmers has been an issue leading to the continuous development of maize genotypes with the aim of improving yield in the farmers’ in order to improve the household income. Evaluation of the agronomic and grain yield of some of th4 elite hybrids maize was conducted with the aim to determine their performance in order to ascertain their suitability for the south-western agro-ecology of Nigeria. Three elites hybrid maize genotypes groups made up of 30 entries of early white and yellow maize (Elite 1), 36 entries of early white maize, 36 entries of late/intermediate maturing (Elite 3) and 24 entries of open pollinated (OPV) were evaluated at the teaching and research farm of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in two late cropping seasons of 2019 to 2020. The treatments were laid out in a randomized incomplete block design (lattice design) with three replications in each season. Data were obtained on agronomic (plant height, ear height, stem lodge, root lodge plant aspect, ear aspect and husk cover), grain yield and yield components (ear length, ear girth, number of kernel rows per ear and number of kernels per row). It was noted that 6 entries from early maturing white and yellow elites (Elite 1), two from early maturing white elites (Elite 2), one from late/ intermediate elites (Elite 3) and one from the open pollinated varieties (OPV) genotypes showed superior agronomic character while one of Elite 1 and 9 of Elite 2 genotypes showed most superior yield character across seasons. Genotypes EWH114(E1), EWH110(E1), EYTWH-9(E2) were observed to be stable and showed superior performance in agronomic character and grain yield. These genotypes are to be advocated for growth and grain yield.

Intellectual property protection: An emphasis on plant varieties

The enactment of Intellectual Property protection laws globally and involvement of private seed industry in India had become indispensable for protection of IP in agriculture as whole and plant varieties in particular. For protection of plant varieties, the Distinctiveness Uniformity and Stability (DUS) descriptors of various crops (vegetables, field crops, floriculture, horticulture crops, etc.) were developed and notified by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights (PPV and FR) Registry for testing. With increasing awareness of IPR in agriculture, the submission of applications of plant varieties from the notified crops for registration has started for protection under the Registry. Subsequently, public sector (Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Agricultural Universities (AUs)); private sector; and farmers started submission of Extant, New and Essentially Derived Varieties (EDVs) applications in the notified crops. The study period pertaining to years 2007-2015 reveals that public sector has contributed immensely in protecting plant varieties of self-pollinated crops (food, fibre and pulses crops), whereas the private sector’s focus is largely confined towards open-pollinated varieties. Private sector has submitted highest number of ‘EDVs’ of tetraploid cotton. Progress in farmers’ varieties for protection under PPV and FRA reinforces the importance and uniqueness of this sui generis system adopted by India. It is, expected that the prospects of variety and seed development sectors will improve overtime. This trend also opens the scope for the plant breeders to design varietal development programmes for desirable traits in various crop species.

Biology of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Rice and Different Corn Varieties

Rice and corn are one of the most important crops in the Philippines. Several insect pests contribute to the losses and low yield of these crops. The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), was recently reported to cause economic damage to corn. Also, this insect consists of two genetically differentiated strains namely, the corn strain and the rice strain. This study was conducted in a laboratory conditions to evaluate the biological parameters of FAW on rice and corn varieties. Newly hatched larvae were fed such as the open pollinated variety (OPV), traditional variety, Macho F1 (hybrid), NK 6410 (genetically modified organism), and rice variety, RC 226. Duration of larva, prepupal, pupal, and larva-adult period, pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition period, number of egg mass, fecundity, sex ratio, and survivability of larva to adult of different crops were evaluated. The results showed that the duration of development from egg to adult in Macho F1 and NK 6410 with an average duration of 24.58 and 24.66 d was significantly shorter than OPV, traditional variety, and rice variety, RC 226. The number of eggs laid by females reared on Macho F1, NK 6410, and OPV, with a mean of 1125.60, 1176.80, and 1049.40, respectively, were significantly greater than the traditional variety, tinigib, and rice RC 226. Different corn varieties and rice did not affect the male and female ratio, longevity, and survivability. The results of this study will provide insights into formulating management strategies for fall armyworm.

Embracing diversity: a genetic marker dataset with increased marker density facilitates association studies in maize

Embracing diversity: a genetic marker dataset with increased marker density facilitates association studies in maize

Effect of Transplanting Dates and Varieties on the Vegetative Growth, Yield, and Yield Components of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

The study was carried out in the Research field of the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh from November 2019 to April 2020 to observe the effect of transplanting date and variety for tomato production. Eight open-pollinated tomato varieties viz. BARI tomato-2, BARI tomato-3, BARI tomato-14, BARI tomato-15, Marglobe, Roma VF, Riograndi, and Khattabegun were considered as the factor A and two transplanting dates viz. 18th December 2019 and 18th January 2020 were considered as factor B. The study was laid out in factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Different transplanting dates and varieties showed significant effects on the vegetative growth and yield of tomato. In 18th December transplanting, the highest number of fruits per plant was recorded in BARI Tomato-3 (46.87), followed by BARI Tomato-14 (43.22), while the lowest number of fruits per plant was recorded in variety Marglobe (13.00). Khattabegun variety had the maximum number of fruits per plant (14.17), followed by BARI tomato-3 (14.02) and BARI tomato-14 (13.97) on transplanting date 18th January. In 18th December transplanting, the highest yield was obtained from BARI tomato-14 (38.55 ton ha-1), followed by BARI tomato-3 (38.16 ton ha-1), while the lowest yield was found in variety Riograndi (9.17 ton ha-1). The highest yield was recorded in BARI tomato-15 (12.10 ton ha-1), while the lowest yield was observed in local variety Khattabegun (6.25 ton ha-1) on transplanting date 18th January. Therefore, it is concluded that BARI Tomato-14 and BARI Tomato-3 with a combination of transplanting date in 18th December was noted as the best combination to get the optimum yield of tomato.

In vitro nutritional evaluation of hybrids and open-pollinated varieties of sweet Sorghum crop in Goats

The present study was conducted to compare the nutritional evaluation of sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)] hybrids and open-pollinated varieties. Two each of sweet sorghum hybrids (PAC52093, SPSSH19) and open-pollinated varieties (SPSSV15, SPSSV20), were planted at four locations viz., two locations each in Sithouli and Turari villages of Gwalior district during rainy season 2021. Crude protein content was significantly (P<0.01) higher in SPSSH19 and neutral detergent fibre was significantly (P<0.01) lower in PAC52093 hybrid of sweet sorghum in comparison to other varieties. Dry matter yield was higher in SPSSH19 (250.0±1.0 q/ha) in comparison to PAC52093 (229.0±1.0 q/ha), SPSSV15 (228.0±1.0 q/ha) and SPSSV20 (227.0±1.0 q/ha). The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose was similar among the hybrids and varieties (P>0.05). In conclusion, hybrid SPSSH19 was superior in dry matter yield and digestible crude protein contents in comparison to other hybrids and varieties.

Recent Advances in Breeding Maize for Drought, Heat and Combined Heat and Drought Stress Tolerance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Drought, heat, and combined drought and heat are important abiotic stresses constraining the production and productivity of maize ( Zea mays L.) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In the face of climate change, these stresses are likely to occur simultaneously and put at risk food and economic security in SSA. This review describes maize breeding activities conducted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in partnership with national scientists under the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) and Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) projects, which together sought to develop and deploy multiple stress tolerant hybrids, and open-pollinated varieties. Emphasis was on (i) developing a reliable methodology for screening maize for tolerance to drought stress (DS), heat stress (HS), and combined drought and heat stress (CDHS) using key secondary traits and grain yield, (ii) use of appropriate breeding techniques for tailoring maize for tolerance to DS, HS and CDHS, (iii) exploring diverse sources of germplasm for genetic enhancement of maize, (iv) extensive multilocational evaluation to identify genotypes with stable performance under the stresses, and (v) application of genomic tools to accelerate genetic gains in maize breeding at IITA. At IITA, the performance of maize hybrids under stresses of DS, HS and CDHS have been improved using conventional breeding techniques/procedures. These techniques/ procedures have led to accelerated genetic gains in yield that were 26–49% higher than the best commercial hybrid checks under CDHS and DS. Additive gene action has been consistently found to be more important than the non-additive among early maize under DS and CDHS while both the additive and non-additive have been reported to be important for the extra-early maize. The most reliable secondary traits for selecting for improved grain yield under the stresses include anthesis-silking interval, ears per plant, and plant and ear aspects. Several early and extra-early landraces have been identified as potential sources of tolerance to DS, HS, and CDHS. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with grain yield and key secondary traits have been identified via genome-wide association studies in landraces and inbred lines. Those desirable QTLs, upon validation, could be invaluable for genomics-enabled breeding.

Effect of pollination methods on growth, maturity, seed yield and yield components in open-pollinated varieties of maize (Zea mays L.)

Effect of pollination methods on growth, maturity, seed yield and yield components in open-pollinated varieties of maize (Zea mays L.)

Comparative analysis of cooking quality and physico chemical properties of some local checks and newly developed rice varieties

Rice is predominantly consumed as a whole grain. So, the grain quality of rice is of crucial importance to determine the market price. Present experiment was conducted at our R &amp;D farm at Bolpur during last four consecutive years of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. Average value of four year’s study is considered here for comparative analysis of cooking quality and physico chemical properties of our own developed 9 Open Pollinated (OP) and 10 hybrids with 19 popular OP and 6 hybrid rice varieties. Correlation study reveals significant correlation between cooking characteristic and physical properties, indicating the core relationship of physico-chemical attributes with cooking quality of the rice grain. Results also suggested that among the GMS developed lines, GMS-165B (OP), GMS-H-2515 and GMS-H-2464 were found to be the best performer recording desirable results for both grain and cooking qualities. Similarly, some lines like GMS-737, GMS-664 A and GMS-H-2499 reported to have good grain characters but some weakness in case of cooking qualities. So these lines can be used for making rice based products. The overall cooking quality and physico-chemical attributes of some of our own developed rice varieties were relatively better and / or at par as compared to other popular varieties. Our hybrids also performed as good as popular OP varieties.

MAIZE RESPONSE TO FALL ARMYWORM (SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA) AND ASIAN CORN BORER (OSTRINIA FURNACALIS) IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippine traditional maize has long existed for hundreds of years, facing and coping with continuous threats of different pests and diseases, with Asian corn borer and fall armyworm as the most damaging insect pests. Developing resistant varieties can employ rich genetic resources, as these varieties may have likely adapted to these biotic stresses. The development of ACB-resistant varieties proved successful with the Bt corn introduction; however, the attempt to breed for resistance to FAW is still underway. The two insect pests belong under the same Order, and cross-resistance between these pests may be possible. In this study, several traditional maize varieties underwent screening for resistance to ACB and FAW through larval survival on leaf-feeding assay. Among the accessions observed, three variants of APN 0120 (Silangan) and three other traditional maize (APN 0397, APN 0913, APN 0938) showed intermediate to high resistance toward FAW leaf damage. Few of these resistant varieties showed negative to Bt introgression. The most notable is the variant SI of APN 0120, with high resistance to ACB and FAW and low larval weight, without the presence of Bt. A previous report stated the original collection of this accession have potential ACB resistance, although Bt-introgressed. On the other hand, APN 0397 (Lagkitan), introgressed with Bt Cry1Ab, expressed dual resistance to ACB and FAW, too. It elucidates the reaction and potential of previously screened ACB-resistant varieties against FAW and the efficiency of Cry1Ab against FAW. It also demonstrates the potential of the traditional maize as source of germplasm to be explored to promote the utilization of open-pollinated varieties with inherent insect resistance. Moreover, this paper establishes massrearing procedures and laboratory techniques for effective fall armyworm-resistance screening using excised leaf method.

Strengthening agroecological resilience through commons-based seed governance in the Philippines.

The Filipino agricultural sector is exposed to multiple climatic, economic, and social risks that will likely intensify in the near future. Building agroecological resilience has been proposed to protect small-scale farmers' livelihoods and improve food security in the context of (unexpected) shocks and disruptions, and slow system changes such as climate change. This paper argues that commons-based seed production, based on collective management and ownership of seeds and varieties, can play a central role in building resilience capacities in smallholder communities. I explore this by applying an indicator-based framework to assess the contribution of the Filipino farmer network Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) to agroecological resilience. I find that the networks' commons-based seed governance builds agroecological resilience in various ways. By equipping small-scale farmers with the tools to regain control over seed production and breeding, they become stewards of an actively evolving collection of varieties. The in situ maintenance and development of traditional, open-pollinated varieties and a network of diversified trial and backup farms build up buffering capacities and foster agrobiodiversity and local adaptation. A focus on regionally available natural resources reduces vulnerabilities to external factors. Adaptive capacities are strengthened through a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness achieved by self-organization and polycentric organizational structures. Broad participation, shared learning and spaces for experimentation support the development of farmers' capacities to respond to diverse challenges. Commons-based approaches to seed governance can thus strengthen agroecological resilience and long-term food security in smallholder agricultural systems.

Potential of Grain Physical Traits to the Study of Variability in Maize

Aims: The identification of new traits that can be used as phenotypic markers as well as potential indirect selection tools is interesting for plant breeding. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential use of physical traits of grains to study phenotypic variability in maize.&#x0D; Methodology: Ten maize varieties were evaluated, one commercial variety and nine local open-pollinated varieties. After harvesting, the following traits were evaluated: mass of 1000 grains, weight of ears, grain yield per hectare, estimated from plot production; real volume and apparent volume; real density and apparent density; sphericity and volumetric weight; obtained in samples of 50 grains of each of the studied varieties. A principal component analysis was performed on the data. First, those traits that showed a strong correlation with components capable of explaining a smaller portion of the total variation were excluded from the analysis. A new principal component analysis was performed with the remaining traits.&#x0D; Results: The result revealed the possibility of excluding five of the ten analyzed variables: mass of 1000 grains, weight of ears, apparent volume, real density, and volumetric weight. Some possibilities of trait exclusion can be explained by correlation and method of estimate among them. The genotypes G2 and G3 showed great difference, mainly due the grain yield. The porosity and real volume contributed to the majority variation among genotypes.&#x0D; Conclusion: Some physical grain traits showed potential for use in divergence studies. Apparent density can be used in indirect selection strategies for higher grain yield.

Harnessing potential of maize (Zea mays) genetic resources for exploring yield and yield-related traits under organic farming in hill region

AbstractTo explore trait variation, assess relative performance and establish association among yield and its associated traits in maize under organic system, 373 maize genotypes that consisted of landraces, open-pollinated varieties and single-cross hybrids were tested under organic management in Sikkim midhills. Data of 8 years (2009–2015 and 2019) for 12 agronomic traits viz., plant height, days to 50% tasselling, days to 50% silking, days to 75% dry husk, grain yield per ha, anthesis–silking interval, cob length, cob diameter, kernel rows per cob, kernels per row, number of cobs per plot and test weight were taken for analysis. Conventionally bred maize hybrids yielded 95.36% higher than the landraces and 58.60% higher than the open-pollinated varieties. Landraces displayed highest mean anthesis–silking interval of 7.18 days. In open-pollinated varieties, test weight showed a positive association with grain yield (0.37) while plant height (0.33) and kernels per row (0.34) were positively correlated to grain yield in case of landraces. Number of cobs per plot showed a very strong association with grain yield in hybrids (1.0). Kernels per cob and test weight contributed 24% to the variation in grain yield in open-pollinated varieties while anthesis–silking interval, days to maturity, number of cobs/plot, test weight and kernel per row accounted for 97% of the variation in grain yield in landraces. Grain yield in single-cross hybrids is contributed maximum (97%) by days to tasselling, silking, anthesis–silking interval, plant height and number of cobs per plot. The study indicates attaining high number of cobs per unit area along with emphasis on traits such as kernels per row, cob length and diameter for achieving higher yields in single-cross hybrids, selection of high test weight genotypes for open-pollinated varieties and emphasis on cob length, kernels per row and plant height for yield improvement in landraces.

Genetic Analysis of Agronomic and Fall Armyworm-Resistance Traits in Maize Hybrids with Varying Levels of Resistance to Stem Borers

Stem borer (SB) and more recently, fall armyworm (FAW) are serious economic pests in maize production in sub-Saharan Africa. It is hypothesized that SB-resistant germplasm may confer resistance against FAW. However, the performance of SB-resistant lines in hybrid combinations and the inheritance of FAW-resistant traits under variable FAW infestations have not been reported. This study was conducted to (i) obtain information on the inheritance of agronomic and FAW-resistant traits under variable FAW infestations; (ii) identify hybrids combining high grain yield (GYLD) and stability under FAW infestations; and (iii) determine the effects of FAW damage on GYLD. Three SB-resistant lines (1393, CKSBL10060 and CML 331) as testers and six open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) as lines were crossed in a line tester scheme to generate eighteen test crosses. The test crosses together with two tester × tester crosses and two checks were evaluated under artificial FAW infestation (AI), natural infestation (NI) and pesticide-protected condition (PC) in Nigeria. Additive and non-additive effects were significant for GYLD, most agronomic and FAW-resistant traits under AI and NI, except ear damage (EDAM) scores under NI, whereas only the non-additive effect was significant for GYLD under PC. Two testers (1393 and CKSBL10060) combined significant and positive GCA effects for GYLD with desirable GCA effects for FAW-resistant traits under AI and NI, whereas CML 331 combined significant and negative GCA effects of GYLD with undesirable GCA effects of FAW resistance under the test conditions. Three OPVs (AWR SYN-W2, AMATZBR-WC4 and TZB-SR) had a significantly positive GCA effect for GYLD and a desirable GCA effect for either leaf damage (LDAM) or EDAM score under AI. The FAW LDAM and EDAM significantly reduced GYLD under AI but not under NI. Three test crosses (AMATZBR-WC4 x CKSBL10060, TZB-SR x CKSBL10060 and TZBR Comp 1-WC2 × 1393) combined high yield with stability and FAW tolerance across the test conditions and thus were recommended for further testing.

INTERVARIETAL CROSSES, AN ALTERNATIVE FOR INCREASING YELLOW MAIZE (Zea mays L.) PRODUCTION IN VARIABLE ENVIRONMENTS

In Mexico, maize (Zea mays L.) is grown under rainfed conditions within immensurable number of variable environments that limit production. To cope with these adversities, genotypes of different genetic constitution have been generated, such as intervarietal crosses; however, knowledge of the yield potential of those crosses in variable environments is limited. The objective of the study was to determine the yield potential of intervarietal crosses of yellow maize in environments of high-valley lands in central Mexico, as well as the components that influence yield under the hypothesis that intervarietal crosses are equal in yield to conventional hybrids. Crosses, open-pollinated parental varieties and commercial controls were evaluated in a randomized complete block design. Fifteen agronomic variables and yield components were measured. A combined analysis of variance and comparison of means (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05) were applied, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. The analysis of variance detected statistical differences in all the factors of variation in most of the evaluated variables. The intervarietal crosses performed statistically equal to the controls but superior to the parents. The crosses excelled in ear diameter and ear length, total weight of grains in the ear, 100-grain weight, grain length, grain width, plant height, ear height, shelling corn coefficient and prolificacy index. In 23 crosses, the genotype × environment interaction effect was not significant. Intervarietal crosses have yield potential compared to conventional hybrids. Ear and grain traits had the greatest influence on yield. Intervarietal crosses represent an alternative to increase yield and production of yellow maize in the high-valley lands of central Mexico.

Varietal evaluation of hybrid maize in the summer and winter seasons in terai region of Nepal

Comparing hybrid maize to open-pollinated varieties, the former is widely recognized for its higher producing capacity. However, the production potential of hybrids varies depending on the region and the season. In order to find the high yielding stable genotypes throughout both settings, this experiment was carried out in the summer of 2021 and the winter of 2021–2022, using a Randomized Complete Block Design with 11 genotypes and 3 replications. The tallest genotypes among those evaluated were CP 808 and G-25 in the winter and summer, respectively. Both P3553 in the winter and CP 808 in the summer reported earlier days to anthesis. Grain yield showed a substantial and positive links with cob characteristics and a negative correlation with reproductive traits, according to correlation analysis. When compared to the yield of both seasons, P3355 and Bisco gold 941 showed highest yield in both environments. Thus, genotypes P3355 and Bisco gold 941 are recommended for cultivation in study area over other available hybrids in the market.

Morphological and molecular characterisation of tomato accessions for breeding for organic farming systems in Brazil

ABSTRACT Genetic variability is crucial for the choice of genitors in any plant breeding programme. Open-pollinated tomato varieties (OPV) present particular and little explored characteristics that can be used in breeding for organic production. This study aimed to characterise the morphological and molecular variability of seventeen OPVs grown under organic management, using morphological descriptors and SSR-type molecular markers. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, in a randomised complete block design, with four replications. Morphological characterisation was performed of 35 descriptors of the fruit and plants and by physical-chemical analyses of the fruit. Furthermore, the molecular variability of the OPVs was analysed using 20 SSR molecular markers. In the characterisation of fruit quality, 85.03% of the variability was composed of the chromatic descriptors b* (44.43%) and L* (7.21%), together with the width of pedicel scar (16.78%), number locules (8.59%), and fruit length (8.02%). The average similarity of genotypes obtained from the polymorphic SSR fragments was 0.59. The evaluated genotypes presented genetic variability to facilitate crosses focused on tomato breeding programmes for organic agriculture. Crosses including the yellow-orange-coloured genotypes, BGT_3 and BGT _1, could be explored for market niches such as for the gourmet type.

Participatory Evaluation of Open Pollinated Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties for Green Cob Production Under Irrigation in the North Shewa Lowlands, Ethiopia

In the experimental area, there is a lack of improved maize varieties for green cob production. The experiment was conducted at Efratana gidim woreda Yimlo Kebele FTC-station in the North Shewa zone during the 2017 and 2018 experimental years under irrigation conditions. The objective of the study was to select adaptive, high-green cob yielders and farmers who preferred open-pollinated maize varieties for the lowland areas of North Shewa. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Six nationally released open-pollinated maize, varieties including local check, were evaluated for two subsequent years. The combined analysis of variance showed highly significant ( p &lt; 0.01 ) differences for days to anthesis, days to silking, and number of cobs ha−1. In each year, farmers participated and selected the top preferred varieties. During the 2017 experimental year, farmers used a number of cobs per plant, bear tip, cob length, uniformity, husk tip coverage, earliness, and stalk strength as selection criteria, and during the 2018 experimental year, farmers also used cob length, bear tip, earliness, lodging tolerance, and biomass as variety selection criteria. Varieties Melkasa-2 and Melkasa-6Q have been selected in both years. Analysis of variance revealed that both farmers preferred varieties that gave a high number of cobs, which is 46,914 and 41,358 cobs ha−1 for varieties Melkasa-2 and Melkasa-6Q, respectively. Based on this result, varieties Melkasa-2 and Melkasa-6Q were recommended for the North Shewa lowlands and similar agroecology.

Potassium Nitrate Priming Effect on the Germination of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum. Mill) cvs. “Mersa” and “Tekeze-1”

To compare the responses of two open-pollinated tomato varieties to germination parameters and shoot growth, seeds of open-pollinated tomato varieties, Mersa and Tekeze-1 were given osmopriming treatments with potassium nitrate (KNO3) in a lab setting. A completely randomized design with four replications was used. The analysis of variance revealed that both tomato varieties responded differently to priming with potassium nitrate concentrations significantly (P&lt;0.05) for almost all measured traits. Potassium nitrate treatments also affected final germination percent (G%) and mean daily germination percent significantly (P&lt;0.05) and germination index (GI) and shoot length (SL) (P&lt;0.001). However, KNO3 did not have a significant effect on time for 50% germination (T50) and mean germination time (MGT). Variety Mersa showed better performance in germination percent (G%) and SL than Tekeze-1; while Tekeze-1 had shorter days for MGT and reached T50 faster than the Mersa variety. Potassium concentrations at 0.5% and 1.5% showed better germination results than the control and at 1% KNO3. The interaction of the Mersa variety with KNO3 at 1.5% and 1% resulted in the highest SL, but the Tekeze-1 variety had the highest shoot length at 0.5% KNO3 concentration, indicating that the varieties have different responses to the applied KNO3 rate. This study confirmed the possibility of enhancing seed germination through externally applied priming agents such as KNO3. Despite being a preliminary finding, this study demonstrated that tomato cultivars differ in how they react to KNO3 priming, and more research, using other tomato varieties and priming agents, is needed.

Performance Evaluation and Identification of New Quality Protein Maize Inbred Lines

Background: Maize plays a critical role in meeting high food demand. It is a globally widely adopted and cultivated crop. Hybrid and open-pollinated varieties development from fixed inbred lines is one of the strategies for the improvement of maize production. Compared with the world average, the national average maize yield is low in Ethiopia. According to this development and selection of promising germplasm has indispensable value for developing high-yielding maize varieties. The study consists of 21Quality Protein Maize (QPM) lines, two QPM testers lines, and one Conventional Maize (CM) line check (FS67). They were evaluated in RCBD with two replications at Ambo and Arsi-Negele. The objective was to identify new lines with good performance compared with released QPM checks and CM lines.&#x0D; Results: There is a significant difference between the lines for 28 traits in Ambo and 24 traits at Arsi-Negele. In combined mean performance analysis, the highest yielding line (L8) exceeded the mean of all line checks, mean QPM checks, CM line check (FS67), and best QPM line check (CML144) by 34.89%, 54.80%, 7.30%, and 25.31%, respectively for GY. The value of EPP ranged from 0.91 (L14) to 1.85 (L3) with an overall mean of 1.19). The highest yielding line (L8) had the 2nd highest EPP (1.63). Mean EPP of the top five QPM lines was less by 5.45%, 4.96%, 22.41%, and 6.41% compared with the mean of all checks, mean of QPM line checks, best QPM check, and CM line check, respectively. The high yielder line (L8) had a higher mean value than the mean of lines checks (CML144, CML159, and FS67), mean of QPM lines checks, best QPM check (CML144), and FS67 by 25.71%, 26.36%, 3.16%, and 24.43%, respectively.&#x0D; Conclusion: In general, the study confirmed the existence of promising new QPM parental lines. These promising lines can be used as source material in the breeding program for further improvement.