Genetic Analysis for Popping Traits in Tropical Inbred Lines of Popcorn (Zea mays var. everta)
Kandala Divya *
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, India.
K. Sumalini
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, India.
M.V. Nagesh Kumar
Department Genetics and Plant Breeding, MRC, ARI, Rajendranagar, India.
K. Lakshmi Prasanna
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Quality Control Laboratory, Rajendranagar, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: Combining ability studies in popcorn to identify superior parents for commercial hybrid breeding.
Study Design: line x tester mating fashion.
Place and Duration of Study: MRC, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar Hyderabad, between 2023-2024.
Methodology: Popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) is a popular snack item both in India and other countries, the genetic base of popcorn germplasm is very narrow, and they resulted in few popcorn hybrids. In this study, a set of 44 popcorn hybrids obtained by crossing 22 inbred lines with two testers in line x tester fashion were evaluated along with parents and two standard checks i.e. Amber popcorn and BPCH-6.
Results: Combining ability analysis implied significant differences among parents, crosses, parent’s v/s crosses for all the traits indicating variation in the selected lines of popcorn. For grain yield, lines PC 1, PC 116, PC 6-1, PC 12-2, PC 25, PC 201-1 and tester CML 451 were identified as good general combiners, whereas crosses, PC 1 x CML 451, PC 25-1 x CML 451, PC 71-1 x CML 451 and PC 5 x CML 286 showed high desirable sca effects for grain yield. The popping expansion trait in crosses viz., PC 22 x CML 451, PC 5 x CML 286, PC 72-2 x CML 451 displayed desirable sca effects. In addition to these hybrids PC 5 x CML 286 exhibited positive significant sca values along with high per se performance for both the traits.
Conclusion: The lines which show desirable performance for yield and popping traits will be utilized in further development of popcorn hybrids.
Keywords: Popcorn, Zea mays var, everta, line x tester, combining ability, good general combiners, specific combining ability