Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

H. Šarčevič, Pejič, M. Barič and V. Kozumplik:

Performance and Inbreeding Depression of an Exotic Maize Population under Selfed Progeny Recurrent Selection

Summary

The M3S maize population obtained by intercrossing of 12 domestic inbreds (exotic germplasm) was subjected to two cycles of selfed progeny recurrent selection to improve grain yield and lodging resistance. In the first cycle S1–S2 selection was used with emphasis on standability among S1 progenies and on grain yield among S2 progenies. In the second cycle, selection for better grain yield was conducted among S1 progenies and, 20 and 30 best yielding S1 progenies were intermated to form the C2(+20) and C2(+30) population, respectively. The S1 generation grain yield increased 21 % and 24.7 % whereas, the S0 generation grain yield increased 3.8 % and 4.8 % from C0 to C2(+20) and C2(+30), respectively. The standability was not improved, but, maturity was delayed and plant and ear height increased. The inbreeding depression for grain yield decreased from 40.8 % in C0 to 31.4 % and 29.7 % in C2(+20) and C2(+30), respectively. The lower selection intensity in the population C2(+30) in comparison to the C2(+20) population resulted in higher grain yield and slightly higher stalk lodging resistance. Key words: maize, exotic germplasm, recurrent selection, inbreeding depression.