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Tropical Germplasms
X. M. Fan,* H. M. Chen, J. Tan, C. X. Xu, Y. M. Zhang, Y. X. Huang, and M. S. Kang
ABSTRACT
New heterotic groups are needed for increasing genetic diversity and productivity in maize (Zea mays L.). A study was conducted
with the following objectives: (i) to determine if exotic tropical maize germplasm (TRMG) can increase diversity of Chinese
maize germplasm for grain yield and five yield component traits (YCTs), namely, ear length (EL), ear diameter (ED), number of
Corn
kernel rows per ear (RE), number of kernels per row (KR), and 1000-kernel weight (TKW), and (ii) to estimate general combin-
ing ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects to identify a possible new heterotic pattern. Twenty-five temperate
maize germplasm (TEMG) from both China and the United States were crossed with four TRMG from the International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The 100 testcrosses were evaluated in field trials for grain yield and five YCTs at
three locations in Yunnan, China. Tropical lines YML146 and YML145 showed, in crosses with most of the TEMG, significant
positive SCA effects for grain yield and most of the YCTs, indicating that these lines had a different genetic base from that of
TEMG and could increase genetic diversity of Chinese maize germplasm. The GCA effects were more important and reliable
than SCA effects for heterotic pattern classification. Exotic line YML146 (derived from Suwan1) was identified as a new heterotic
group, different from Reid, Lancaster, Tangsipingtou (TSPT), and Luda Red Cob (LDRC). A new heterotic pattern of temperate
× Suwan1 was postulated, which could be as important as the widely accepted fl int × dent heterotic pattern.
A g r o n o my J o u r n a l • Vo l u m e 10 0 , I s s u e 4 • 2008 917
were grouped into six heterotic groups: of which three heterotic effects. Thus, they recommended that the marker-based grouping
groups were related to Mo17, B73, and Oh43; two groups were techniques might only serve as the basis to design and carry out
classified into two China local heterotic groups; and one group combining ability studies in the field to establish clearly defined
was identified as tropical group. This study suggested that the heterotic groups with a greater GS within groups.
China local maize germplasms were genetically different from Barata and Carena (2006) attempted to classify some elite
U.S.-originated maize germplasms and the TRMGs were geneti- North Dakota maize inbred lines into current U.S. Corn Belt
cally different from both U.S. and China local germplasms. heterotic groups and evaluated the consistency between SSR
Yuan et al. (2002) employed 51 simple sequence repeat (SSR) grouping and testcross data analysis. Thirteen North Dakota
markers to analyze 134 maize inbred lines from both temper-
maize inbred lines representing diverse genetic background
ate regions (China and U.S. Corn Belt) and CIMMYT. The
were crossed in a diallel mating design in 2000. In addi-
134 maize inbred lines were grouped into nine clusters accord-
tion, inbred lines representing Lancaster Sure Crop, BSSS,
ing to genetic similarity (GS) values between the inbred lines.
They found that most of the inbred lines from CIMMYT were Minnesota #13, Northwester Dent, Golden Glow pedigree and
assigned to one major cluster whereas all inbred lines that origi- all the 13 North Dakota inbred lines were screened with 49 SSR
nated from both China and U.S. Corn Belt were placed into markers. The study showed that heterotic groups of genetically
the remaining eight clusters. This result further suggested that similar germplasms could not be identified accurately and reliably
TRMGs might be genetically different from TEMGs originat- with molecular markers even when the available germplasm was
ing from both China and the U.S. Corn Belt. diverse, contrary to what had previously been suggested. Therefore,
Menkir et al. (2004) used two testers representing the flint they suggested that extensive field evaluation was needed to clas-
and dent heterotic patterns to test 38 tropical maize inbred lines. sify unrelated maize inbred lines into a heterotic group.
Significant GCA and SCA effects for grain yield were detected Genetic diversity is a basis for maize breeding program
in tested inbred lines. The two testers classified 23 of the 38 to achieve success (Hallauer and Miranda, 1988; Fan et al.,
tested inbred lines into two heterotic groups based on SCA 2002b; Melani and Carena, 2005). Previous studies have
effects and testcross’s mean grain yields. Diversity analysis of all shown that genetic base of TRMGs was different from that
40 maize inbred lines using amplified fragment length polymor- of TEMGs (Fan et al., 2002a; Huang and Li, 2002; Yuan et
phism (AFLP) and SSR markers classified the tested lines into al., 2002). The tropical lines YML145 and YML146 had been
different heterotic groups obtained by mean grain yield and SCA introduced and improved for adaptation, high yield, disease
resistance and other stress resistances in the last decade by our
Table 1. Germplasm sources and main characters of 29 maize institution (Fan et al., 2002a, 2002b, 2003). For effective uti-
inbred lines.
lization, the classification and determination if the new intro-
Code Inbred Heterotic Grain
no. line† Source group texture duced TRMGs belongs to a new alternative heterotic group
1 CML171 Pool25QPM Tropical Flint becomes critical in our maize breeding programs. These can
2 CML166 Pop66QPM Tropical Dent then be effectively used to synthesize populations, to develop
3 YML145 Improved yellow Tuxpeno Tropical Dent inbred lines and hybrids. The objectives of this study were to
4 YML146 Suwan1 Population of Thailand Tropical Flint
Huangzao4 × (i) evaluate the combining ability of grain yield and five YCTs,
5 81515 TSPT Flint
(HuaFeng100 × Ai C103) namely, EL, ED, RE, KR, and TKW using a line × tester
6 Qi319 Pioneer78599 Reid Flint
mating design from four TRMGs and 25 TEMGs to see if
7 Yuzi87–1 Hybrid 87001 from US Reid Middle
8 P138 Pioneer78599 Reid Flint TRMGs can increase the genetic diversity of China local maize
9 X178 Pioneer78599 Reid Flint germplasm; (ii) analyze the patterns of GCA and SCA effects
10 Shen136 Double cross hybrid from US Reid Flint to see if a new heterotic pattern between tropical and tempera-
11 543 Pioneer78599 Reid Flint
12 Tie7922 Pioneer3382 Reid Dent
ture maize can be established.
13 Ye107 Foreign Hybrid XL80 Reid Semi-dent
14 Luyuan92 Yuanqi123 × 1137 Reid Semi-dent MATERIALS AND METHODS
15 Zheng58 Mutation of Ye 478 Reid Middle Experimental Materials
16 DS01 Hybrid CM190 from US Reid Dent
17 Yun147 Hybrid from US Reid Flint
The sources, the heterotic group, and grain texture of 25
18 Liao3180 Foreign Hybrid Reid Flint TEMGs and four elite TRMGs used for this study are listed in
19 K22 K11 × Ye478 Reid Flint Table 1. These 25 TEMGs are the major parental lines for the
20 Lai3189 5003 × U8112 TSPT Flint commercial maize hybrids currently grown in China. These
21 Mo17 C103 × 187–2 Lancaster Semi-dent
22 13247 1324 × Ye478 Lancaster Middle lines had been classified into different heterotic groups in previ-
23 Zi330 OH43 × Keli 67 Lancaster Dent ous studies (Zhang et al., 2000; Huang and Li, 2002; Yuan et
24 Tie9010 Kang1 × Dan340 LDRC Middle al., 2002). Two of the four tropical inbred lines, CML171 and
λ irradiation mutant
25 Dan340 LDRC Middle CML166, are improved inbred lines originally introduced from
Baizhoulu9 × Pod corn
26 Zong3 synthetic cultivar N/A Dent CIMMYT by YAAS (Fan et al., 2002a). The other two tropi-
27 Xi502 Dan340 × Huangzao4 TSPT Dent cal inbred lines, YML145 and YML146, were selected from
28 K1218 Variation of K12 TSPT Flint
29 Huangzao4 Tangsipingtou TSPT Flint
tropical populations of Tuxpeno and Suwan1, respectively.
† CML and YML refer to the inbred lines of CIMMYT Maize Line and Maize Line CML171 and YML146 are tropical flint inbred lines, whereas
from Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, respectively. CML166 and YML145 are tropical dent inbred lines.
Experimental Design for Field Trial between ith F1 hybrid and lth location; eijkl = residual effect.
In 2004, at Kunming, China, the 25 TEMG’s were used as Because the three locations selected for this experiment were
female parents and were crossed with the four TRMG, which not a random sample of all possible locations within Yunnan,
yielded 100 testcrosses. In 2005, the 100 testcrosses were field- we treated locations as a fi xed factor. Hybrid or cross effect and,
tested for grain yield and five YCTs at three locations in Yunnan. consequently, GCA and SCA effects were regarded as fi xed
A widely grown commercial hybrid, Yunyou 21, was employed effects. Only replication was considered to be a random factor.
as a check. A randomized complete-block design with three Thus, significance of location variance was tested against rep-
replications was used at all locations. Each experimental unit lication-within-location entity. For all other significance tests,
was a single row plot with a row spacing of 0.7 m and length of experiment error term was used (Table 3).
5 m. Distance between two adjacent plants was 0.23 m and the Data collected from the trials were first analyzed via the
population density was approximately 60,000 plants ha–1. At GLM procedure of SAS 9.1 (SAS Institute, 2002). The GCA
maturity, 10 ears were harvested from 10 consecutive plants in and SCA were analyzed via a specific SAS program developed
the middle of each row. The EL, ED, RE, and KR were recorded by our team. Graphs were made using Statistica 7.1 (StatSoft,
from each harvested ear. After harvest, the kernels were air-dried Inc. 2006) and Microsoft Excel 2003.
until constant moisture of 130 g kg–1 was achieved, and then
TKW and grain yield per plant were determined. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Analysis of Variance of the 100 Testcrosses for
Climatic Parameters for the Three Locations Grain Yield and Yield Component Traits
Three locations with different climatic and geographical The data on grain yield and the five YCTs from the three
conditions were selected to test grain yield and other differ- locations were subjected to an ANOVA (Table 3). The loca-
ences among hybrids developed by crossing local lines with tions, crosses, and crosses × locations sources of variation were
CIMMYT lines. Information on elevation, longitude, latitude, significant at the 0.01 probability level for all traits studied.
temperature, rainfall, sunshine, soil properties, previous crop, As the variances of crosses and crosses-by-locations interaction
and fertilizer application for the three locations is presented were significant, the crosses variation was further partitioned
in Table 2. The hybrid seeds were hand-planted at the three into GCA and SCA and the interaction variation was further
locations. partitioned into GCA × location and SCA × location interac-
tions. The GCA, SCA, GCA × locations, and SCA × locations
Statistical Model and Analyses were also significant for all traits analyzed (Table 3).
The following statistical model was used for the data
analysis: General Combining Ability Analysis
Yijkl = μ + αl + bkl + vij + (αυ)ijl + eijkl The GCA effects for grain yield and the five YCTs for the 25
TEMGs and four TRMGs are listed in Table 4. The tropical inbred
vij = gi + g j + sij lines YML146 and YML145 had significantly positive GCA
effects for grain yield. When these two lines were crossed with all
where Yijkl = observed value from each experimental unit; μ = TEMGs, the average grain yield from these crosses was significantly
population mean; αl = location effect; bkl = block or replication higher than the yields from the crosses of CML166 and CML171,
effect within each location; vij = F1 hybrid effect = gi + g j + sij which had significantly negative GCA effects, with all TEMGs.
[where gi = general combining ability (GCA) for the ith paren- Among the TEMGs, Zheng58, Tie 7922, Liao 3180, K1218,
tal line; g j = GCA effect of jth tester; sij = specific combining Zi330, Dan340, Yun147, and DS01 had significantly positive
ability (SCA) for the ijth F1 hybrid]; (αv)ijl = interaction effect GCA effects, whereas Lai3189, Luyuan92, X178, Mo17, Tie9010,
Fig. 2. Combining abilities of YML146 with all 25 tested lines. Fig. 3. Combining abilities of YML145 with all 25 tested lines.
Fig. 4. Combing abilities of YML146 with lines belong to differ- Fig. 5. Combing abilities of YML145 with lines belonging to dif-
ent heterotic groups. ferent heterotic groups.