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Performance of Early Maize Cultivars Derived from Recurrent Selection for Grain Yield and Striga Resistance

^a International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), c/o L.W. Lambourn (UK) Ltd., Carolyn House, 26 Dingwall Rd., Croydon, CR9 3EE, UK
^b Obafemi Awolowo, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
^c INRAB/CRAN-INA, Benin Republic
^d IRAD, Yaounde, Cameroon
^e SARI, Tamale, Ghana
^f INERA, Bobo–Dioulosso, Burkina Faso

^* Corresponding author (b.badu-apraku{at}cgiar.org).

Maize (Zea mays L.) production in west and central Africa (WCA) is constrained by the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth and recurrent drought. Two early maize populations, TZE-W Pop DT STR C₀ (white) and TZE-Y Pop DT STR C₀ (yellow), developed from diverse genetic backgrounds, were subjected to three cycles of S₁ recurrent selection under artificial Striga infestation. Inbreds and synthetic cultivars were developed from the different cycles of selection. The populations (C₀), derived cultivars, and check cultivars were evaluated in 2002 and 2003 under Striga-infested and Striga-free environments in WCA. The objective was to assess the performance of the derived cultivars from the different cycles of selection. Under Striga infestation, ACR 94 TZE Comp5-Y and ACR 94 TZE Comp5-W, which were not from the selection program, were the highest-yielding group (2158 and 2124 kg ha^–1, respectively). The second group comprised six products of the selection program, with grain yield ranging from 1806 to 1954 kg ha^–1. The third group, with grain yield of 1498 to 1759 kg ha^–1 contained mostly Striga-susceptible cultivars and the C₀ of the selection program. Under Striga-free conditions, the performance of several cultivars from the selection program was equal to or better than ACR 94 TZE Comp5-Y and ACR 94 TZE Comp5-W. The genotype plus genotype x environment interaction biplot analysis demonstrated that EV DT-Y 2000 STR C₁ and TZE-W Pop DT STR C₃ from the selection program, along with ACR 94 TZE Comp5-W, had stable grain yield under Striga-infested and noninfested conditions.

Abbreviations: ASI, anthesis-to-silking interval • ATC, average-tester coordinate • CIMMYT, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center • DAP, days after planting • EPP, number of ears per plant • EV, experimental cultivar • GGE, genotype main effect plus genotype x environment interaction • IITA, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture • MSV, the maize streak virus • PC, principal component • RSVT, Regional Striga Variety Trial • RUVT, Regional Uniform Variety Trial • WAP, weeks after planting • WECAMAN, West and Central Africa Collaborative Maize Research Network • WCA, west and central Africa

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Received for publication July 26, 2007.