OAR@ICRISATExploiting Grain-Filling Rate and Effective Grain-Filling Duration to Improve Grain Yield of Early-Maturing MaizeEGasuraauthorPSetimelaauthorREdemaauthorP TGibsonauthorPOkoriauthorATarekegneauthorEarly-maturing maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes yield 15 to 30% less than late-maturing genotypes. One strategy for improving grain yield in the early-maturing group involves assessment of grain-filling traits as secondary traits for selection for high grain yield. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using grain-filling rate and duration for improving grain yield in early-maturing tropical maize. Forty-four hybrids generated using North Carolina design II were evaluated at CIMMYT-Zimbabwe during the 2011/2012 season under irrigated and nonirrigated environments. Although grain-filling rate and effective grain-filling duration were negatively correlated, several hybrids were distinctly above the trend line. The earliest-maturing hybrid took 127 d to reach physiological maturity and produced grain yields comparable to those of the medium-maturing genotypes (7 t ha−1). It had a high grain-filling rate of 2.40 g per plant d−1 (18% higher than those of the low-yielding hybrids) and a relatively longer effective grain-filling duration. Grain-filling rate and effective grain-filling duration had high coefficients of genetic determination, positive correlations with grain yield, low error terms, and low genotype × environment interactions, making them appropriate selection traits for improved grain yield. The study shows that it is possible to develop high-yielding early- to medium-maturing maize hybrids based on favorable combining ability values for grain-filling rate and duration.Maize2013Crop Science Society of AmericaArticle

For work being deposited by its own author: In self-archiving this collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata, I grant OAR@ICRISAT the right to store them and to make them permanently available publicly for free on-line. I declare that this material is my own intellectual property and I understand that OAR@ICRISAT does not assume any responsibility if there is any breach of copyright in distributing these files or metadata. (All authors are urged to prominently assert their copyright on the title page of their work.)

For work being deposited by someone other than its author: I hereby declare that the collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata that I am archiving at OAR@ICRISAT) is in the public domain. If this is not the case, I accept full responsibility for any breach of copyright that distributing these files or metadata may entail.

Clicking on the deposit button indicates your agreement to these terms.