A Study of the Associations of Quantitative Characters with Variegated Pericarp in Maize

Individual plants of a genetic stock homozygous for variegated pericarp were crossed with individual plants of two inbred lines, rec. L289 and N6, each of which produce colorless pericarp. The F2 generation of these two single crosses was grown in a randomized block design with seven replications and 20 plants in each plot. Individual plant measurements were taken for the following quantitative characters: days to silking, days to shedding pollen, plant height, ear height, leaf width, stalk diameter, ear weight, ear length, ear diameter, and number of kernel rows. Genotypic classification of individual F2 plants was made on the basis of phenotypic ratios for variegated pericarp in the progenies of open-pollinated F2 plants. Analyses of variance of the 10 qualitative characters were made on means for genotypes within plots in the F2 generation. Genotypes means and the least significant difference between means were calculated. Advisor: Elvin F. Frolik