HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Frei, O. M. Articles by Goodman, M. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Frei, O. M. Articles by Goodman, M. M. Agricola Articles by Frei, O. M. Articles by Goodman, M. M.

Use of Allozymes as Genetic Markers for Predicting Performance in Maize Single Cross Hybrids¹

The possible use of allozymes in inbreds of maize (Zea mays L.) for predicting single cross performance has been proposed by many maize breeders. This potential use was evaluated in an experiment involving a large group of publicly available inbreds. The six testers, B73 and B14A (Stiff Stalk type), Mol7 and Oh43 (Lancaster type), K55 (from ‘Pride of Saline’), and T8 (from ‘Jarvis’) were chosen, each representing different germplasm sources (populations). Based on allozyme genotypes at 21 enzymeloci, a genetic relatedness measure of 406 inbreds with the six tester lines was generated and line pairs were classified into similar (SA) or dissimilar (DA) allozyme groups. A second genetic relatedness measure was based on pedigrees. Lines derived from the same population were considered to have similar pedigrees (SP); lines derived from different populations were classified as having dissimilar pedigrees (DP). Each tester was crossed to a set of lines (usually five) from each of the four allozymepedigree combinations. Different sets of lines were used for the single crosses with each of the testers. These single crosses were field tested in seven environments. Significantly higher yield (10%) was observed in the DA class than in the SA class. The DP class outyielded the SP class by 37%. In spite of the highly significant main effects of allozymes and pedigrees, allozyme dissimilarity was associated with higher yield only when the pedigree background was similar (SP-class). In hybrids of lines from different populations (DP-class) the allozymes showed no association with yield. Neither allozymes nor pedigrees were associated with yield in crosses to B73, indicating that exceptions from the general associations occur, depending on the tester.

Key Words: Zea mays L. • Genetic distance • Hybrid vigor • Isozymes

² Former graduate research assistant in genetics, North Carolina State Univ. and now with Funk Seeds Int.; research geneticist, USDA, ARS, and professor of genetics, North Carolina State Univ.; and professor of crop science, North Carolina State Univ.

Received for publication November 26, 1984.