Genetic analysis of quantitative traits in synthetic population 316PO2 of maize (Zea mays L.)

The choice of recurrent selection procedure depends mostly on the genetic constitution of populations undergoing selection. We studied components of genetic variance of grain yield, ear length, 1000-kernel weight, ear row number, kernel depth, 10-kernel length and height of ear of the medium late synthetic maize population 316PO2. This population includes Lancaster Surecrop germplasm (about 70%) and exotic germplasm (30%). It should be an important source of new maize inbred lines. Except for ear row number, most of the total genetic variability of the other traits was determined by additive gene action. We estimated negative value of variance due to dominance deviations for kernel depth. The average degree of dominance was at the level of superdominance except for kernel depth and 10-kernel length. Grain yield and 1000-kernel weight had higher values of narrow sense heritability (h(n)(2)=0,56, h,(2)(n)=0,5) than expected. Ear row number(h(n)(2)=0,45) had lower. In the case of kernel depth, we couldn't been able to estimate narrow sense heritability. The largest expected genetic gain from selection for grain yield was obtained for half-sib recurrent selection