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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Corn Host Plant Resistance Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364958
Research Project: Enhanced Resistance of Maize to Aspergillus flavus Infection, Aflatoxin Accumulation, and Insect Damage

Location: Corn Host Plant Resistance Research

Title: Inheritance study for popping expansion in popcorn vs. flint corn genotypes

Author
item COAN, MARLON - Universidade Estadual De Maringá
item PINTO, RONALD - Universidade Estadual De Maringá
item KUKI, MAURICIO - Universidade Estadual De Maringá
item DO AMARAL JÚNIOR, ANTÔNIO - Universidade Estadual Do Norte Fluminense
item FIGUEIREDO, SANDRO - Universidade Estadual De Maringá
item SCAPIM, CARLOS - Universidade Estadual De Maringá
item Warburton, Marilyn

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2019
Publication Date: 7/18/2019
Citation: Coan, M.M., Pinto, R.J., Kuki, M.C., do Amaral Júnior, A.T., Figueiredo, S.T., Scapim, C.A., Warburton, M.L. 2019. Inheritance study for popping expansion in popcorn vs. flint corn genotypes. Agronomy Journal. 111(5):2174-2183. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.04.0295.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.04.0295

Interpretive Summary: Popcorn cultivars are not as high yielding and stress resistant as other corn cultivars because they lack diversity for these traits. Crossing popcorn to field corn can bring in the needed diversity. This study shows how many genes control the important popping expansion trait in crosses between popcorn and flint field corn. This information can be used by popcorn breeders to bring in useful genetic diversity from flint corn, and maintain popping expansion in the resulting generations.

Technical Abstract: Popcorn is a popular snack food with higher economic value compared to field corn varieties of maize (Zea mays L.), but displays less favorable agronomic performance and greater susceptibility to diseases. The objective of the present work was to study the mode of inheritance of popping expansion (PE) from three different crosses of popcorn x flint corn with a classical model and a mixed model using inbred lines derived from tropical germplasm. The study will investigate if PE is encoded by one or two major genes, a few genes with large effect, or multiple genes of small effect. Four generations (P1 and P2, F1, F2, BC1-Popcorn and BC1-Flint) from each cross were evaluated in field experiments in the main growing season of 2013/2014, in two environments. A randomized complete block design was used, with a nested split-plot arrangement of treatments with four replicates. Means of the four generations were determined for PE. A weighted least squares analysis of variance based on the generation means method was used to perform joint scaling tests on the data from each generation. Maximum likelihood estimators were used to test the effect of major genes and/or the presence of polygenic loci affecting the trait. Although inheritance studies with plot means can be used to estimate genetic effects, the effect numbers can be overestimated. In the current study, PE in popcorn vs. flint crosses was controlled by a major additive gene in conjunction with polygenic modifiers acting in both additive and dominant fashions.