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Selection Among and Within Half-Sib Families in a Brazilian Population of Maize (Zea mays L.)¹

A modified ear-to-row selection (selection among and within half-sib families) has been applied to a Brazilian population of maize. Open-pollinated progenies (half-sibs) are evaluated in replicated yield trials. The selected half-sib families are further subjected to mass selection within families to provide the half-sibs for testing in the next generation. Three cycles of selection have been completed. Selection was mainly for yield. Some attention was given to such agronomic characters as resistance to lodging, lower ear height, and freedom of diseases.

Yield improvement of 13.6% per cycle compared to the original population was obtained. The original population variability as measured by a genetic coefficient of variability was 15.8%; in cycle III, this value decreased to 7.1%. Most of the decrease occurred in the first cycle and comparable improvements in succeeding cycles were obtained without further apparent loss of genetic variability.

The present scheme of improvement appears to be of value in comparison with other methods of population improvement.

Key Words: combined selection • half-sib selection

² Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, S.P., Brazil. The author gratefully acknowledges the counsel of Dr. J. H. Lonnquist in the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Received for publication October 19, 1966.