Combining ability between tropical maize lines aiming to genomic models

• Grant number: 22/15488-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Michele Jorge Silva Siqueira
• Grantee: Ellen Grous
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important species for human and animal food. In order to obtain high productivity, more and more information is needed on obtaining promising hybrids. The objective of this project is to estimate the combinatorial ability of tropical maize lines, in a complete diallel design, in order to indicate genotypes and contribute to the adjustment of genomic models in the breeding program of ESALQ-USP. For this, the experiment will have 12 inbred lines of tropical corn, with different heterotic groups, belonging to the Department of Genetics ESALQ-USP. First, seed multiplication will be carried out with plots of 4 m long lines, spacing 0.80 m between lines and 0.20 m between plants. Then, the lines will be used to compose a complete diallel in which crosses reciprocal. The hybridizations will be carried out in the field in the agricultural year 2022/23 in the experimental area of the Department of Genetics ESALQ-USP in Piracicaba-SP, aiming to obtain 66 hybrid combinations. The phenotypic evaluations will be carried out in the second crop 2022/2023, in two locations: experimental area of the Genetics Department of ESALQ-USP and in the experimental station of Anhumas, both located in the municipality of Piracicaba-SP, and all analysis of variance (individual, conjoint and diallel) and tests of average comparisons will be performed using R software.