Scientists Use Secondary Traits and Selection Indices for Dev't of Drought Tolerant Maize
February 3, 2012| |
The progress of breeding drought tolerant maize has been slow because drought tolerance is controlled by many genes. Thus, breeders have been using secondary traits and selection indices to find the best genotype under drought stress. Xavier Mhike of Makere University in Uganda, together with other scientists, conducted a study to assess the reliability of certain selection indices and secondary traits and how they related to the conventional parameters to improve selection efficiency under stress environments.
The research team formed and evaluated fifty maize hybrids using alpha lattice planting design under favorable and drought conditions. Results showed that under drought conditions, the general combining ability (GCA) was highly significant for grain yield, anthesis-silking interval (ASI) and ears per plant (EPP). Specific combining ability (SCA) was significant for grain yield and EPP. Stress tolerance index (STI) and geometric productivity index (GMP) had positive and significant relationship with grain yield under drought and favorable conditions. Based on these findings, secondary traits ASI and EPP, as well as selection indices like STI and GMP are effective in identifying high yielding genotypes under different conditions.
Read more about this study at http://www.academicjournals.org/ajps/PDF/Pdf2012/27%20January/Mhike%20et%20al.pdf.
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