Maize improvement through selfed progeny recurrent selection across different environments

MOHAMMAD SAJJAD; NAQIB ULLAH KHAN; SAMRIN GUL; SHAHID ULLAH KHAN; ZARINA BIBI; SARDAR ALI; NAUSHAD ALI; SHER ASLM KHAN

doi:10.30848/PJB2020-2(8)

Recurrent selection is a cyclical breeding procedure which has been mostly used for the improvement of maize populations. This study was aimed at comparing the responses of maize S1 and S2-lines through selfed progeny recurrent selection under genotype by environment interactions. During spring-2014, for developing S1 (selfed) lines in cycle-1, 500 plants were selfed. Two-cycle populations [PSEV3 (S1)-C1 and PSEV3 (S2)-C2] and base population (PSEV3-C0) were studied during summer season across four environments i.e., two each years (2016 and 2017) and locations. Cyclical populations revealed significant (p=0.01) differences for all the traits. The cycle × year interactions were significant for ear length, 100-grain weight, and grain yield. The cycle × year × location interactions were significant for kernel rows per ear and 100-grain weight. In C2 population, the improvement in earliness and yield traits was recorded followed by C1 population. Performance of C2 was overwhelming at CCRI during 2017 while base population (PSEV3-C0) exhibited poor performance across years and locations. The responses to selection were encouraging for days to tasseling, cobs per m2, cob length, kernel rows per cob, 100-kernel weight and grain yield. Overall and average genetic gains per cycle were persuading for days to tasseling, cobs per m2, cob length, kernel rows per cob, 100-kernel weight and grain yield. The recurrent selection was found more effective in improving maize base population (PSEV3-C0) for maturity and yield related traits. Simultaneous improvement owing to selfed-progeny recurrent selection suggests further testing of advance cycles in the maize population.