ARS | Publication request: HETEROTIC GROUPING OF WHITE CORN GERMPLASM

Submitted to: Crop Science Society Of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 24, 2001
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: We evaluated white-seeded corn populations to determine heterotic groups within this germplasm source. We included Lancaster (Mo17) and Stiff Stalk (FR1064) lines to determine how white corn populations would fit into that heterotic pattern. Inbred lines from each of the cultivars Pride of Saline (PS), Boone County White (BCW), Johnson County White (JCW), Neal's Paymaster (NP), and Jellicorse Twin Ear (JT), were used to make double- cross (DC) synthetics. The DC synthetics and Mo17 and FR1064 were crossed in a diallel. The diallel was grown in Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky in 1998 and 1999. Both general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects were significant (P=0.05) in the diallel analysis. Ranking of the populations for GCA was NP>JT>PS>BCW>JCW. SCA effects were greatest for the hybrid of PSxJCW, followed by JCWxJT, and JCWxNP, and lowest for JCWxBCW. In crosses with Mo17 and FR1064, all white populations except JT produced significantly higher yields with FR1064 than Mo17.