Open Access Maydica 57-2012 Original Paper received 08/31/2012

maize, recurrent selection Recurrent selection (RS) schemes were introduced to increase the frequency of favorable alleles for quantitatively inherited traits. The main goal of RS was to genetically improve germplasm resources for breeding programs. Data were summarized for 14 intra-population and eight inter-population maize (Zea mays L) RS programs con-ducted in 17 genetically broad-based populations. The intra-population programs included evaluation of half-sib and full-sib families, either S1 or S2 inbred progenies, and a combination of S1 and S2 inbred progenies. The inter-population reciprocal RS programs were restricted to either half-sib or full-sib family selection. Grain yield was the primary trait considered in selection, but selection indices that include grain moisture at harvest and resistance to root and stalk lodging also were considered in making the selections that were intermated to form the next cycle population. Approximately, 10 to 20 selections were intermated for each cycle. Estimates of the genetic variation among progenies tested ( ), interactions of progenies with environments ( ), and experimental error ( ) were obtained from the combined analyses of variance for each cycle of selection and then averaged across cycles for each selection program. From the estimates of the components of variance, estimates of heritability (h2) on a progeny mean basis, the genetic coefficient of variation among progenies tested relative to their mean, (GCV), selection differentials (D), predicted genetic gains ( ), and least significant differences (LSD) were calculate