Abstract
Restricted genetic variability in elite tropical maize germplasm has raised concerns about the potential to develop higher yielding and stress-tolerant varieties. Elite temperate germplasm has high levels of genetic diversity for yield, drought tolerance and earliness. The objective of this study was to identify temperate maize inbreds that could enhance the grain yield potential, drought tolerance and high plant density tolerance of adapted tropical germplasm. Two hundred and forty-three temperate inbreds with expired Plant Variety Protection Act certificates from the USA were crossed to three CIMMYT single-cross testers. The three-way testcrosses were evaluated under high density, optimal, low nitrogen and managed drought conditions. Among the outstanding exotic temperate inbreds were HB8229, W8304, LH198 and PJH40 from the stiff stalk group, and LH159, LH214, and LH23Ht from the non-stiff stalk group. Of the highest yielding testcrosses, 65% were heterotic group A-lines, 30% heterotic group B-lines, and 5% were AB-lines. Although the testcrosses were more susceptible to diseases, their grain yield was comparable to the commercial checks, especially under managed drought and high-density conditions. Temperate lines also induced earliness and shorter plant stature to the three-way crosses.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Al-Naggar AMM, Shabana MS, Hassanein TA, Elewa AS, Younis M, Metwally AMA (2017) Estimation of genetic parameters controlling inheritance of maize quantitative traits under different plant densities using line x tester analysis. Asian J Adv Agric Res 2:1–12
Alvarado G, Lopez M, Vargas M, Rodriguez F, Burgueno J, Crossa J (2015) Multi-environment trial analysis with R for Windows (META-R) version 5.0. CIMMYT El Batan, Mexico
Andorf C, Beavis WD, Hufford M, Smith S, Suza WP, Wang K, Woodhouse M, Yu J, Lübberstedt T (2019) Technological advances in maize breeding: past, present and future. Springer-Verlag GmbH, Germany
Badu-Apraku B, Fakorede MAB, Oyekunle M, Akinwale RO (2015) Genetic gains in grain yield under nitrogen stress following three decades of breeding for drought tolerance and striga resistance in early maturing maize. J Agr Sci 1:1–15
Bänziger M, Edmeades GO, Beck D, Bellon M (2000) Breeding for drought and nitrogen stress tolerance in maize: from theory to practice. CIMMYT, El Batán, Mexico
Bänziger M, Setimela PS, Hodson D, Vivek B (2006) Breeding for improved abiotic stress tolerance in maize adapted to southern Africa. Agric Water Manag 80:212–224
Bänziger M, Vivek BS (2007) Fieldbook: Software for managing a maize breeding program. CIMMYT, El Batan, Mexico
Bellon MR, Adatao M, Beceril J, Mindek D (2003) The impact of improved maize germplasm on poverty alleviation: The case of Tuxpenyo derived materials in Mexico. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Discussion paper 162
Cairns JE, Crossa J, Zaidi P, Grudloyma P, Sanchez C, Araus JL, Thaitad S, Makumbi D, Magorokosho C, Bänziger M (2013) Identification of drought, heat, and combined drought and heat tolerant donors in maize. Crop Sci 53:1335–1346
De Mendiburu F, Simon R (2015) Agricolae-Ten years of an open source statistical tool for experiments in breeding, agriculture and biology. Peer J Pre-Prints (UK) 3:e748v1
Drinic SM, Andjelkovic V, Micic DI (2012) Genetic diversity of maize landraces as sources of favorable traits. In: Caliskan M (ed) The molecular basis of plant genetic diversity. Intech Open, London, UK, pp 89–112
Duvic DN (2005) The contribution of breeding to yield advances in maize (Zea mays L). Adv Agron 86:83–145
Ekpaa O, Palacios-Rojas N, Krusemanc G, Foglianoa V, Linnemanna AR (2018) Sub-Saharan African maize-based foods: technological perspectives to increase the food and nutrition security impacts of maize breeding programmes. Glob Food Sec 17:48–56
Evanson RE (1999) Intellectual property rights access to plant germplasm, and crop production scenarios in 2020. Crop Sci 39:1630–1635
Fan X, Zhang Y, Liu L, Chen H, Yao W, Kang M, Yang JY (2010) Screening tropical germplasm by temperate inbred testers. Maydica 55:55–63
Fasahat P, Rajabi A, Rad JM, Derera J (2016) Principles and utilisation of combining ability in plant breeding. Biom Biostat Int J 3:255–265
Fischer RA, Byerlee D, Edmeades G (2014) Crop yields and global food security: Will yield increase continue to feed the world? ACIAR Monograph No 158. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra pp xxii + 634
Goodman MM (2004) Developing temperate inbreds using tropical maize germplasm, rationalle, results and conclusions. Maydica 49:209–219
Goodman MM (2005) Broadening the US maize germplasm base. Maydica 50:203–214
Govindaraj M, Vetriventhan M, Srinivasan M (2015) Importance of genetic diversity assessment in crop plants and its recent advances: an overview of its analytical perspectives. Gen Res Int 15:1–14
Hallauer AR, Carena MJ, Miranda-Filho JB (2010) Quantitative genetics in maize breeding: handbook of Plant Breeding. Springer, New York
Isik F, Holland J, Maltecca C (2017) Multi environmental trials. In: Isik F, Holland J, Maltecca C (eds) Genetic data analysis for plant and animal breeding. Springer, pp 227–262
Kraja A, Dudley J, White DG (2000) Identification of tropical and temperate maize populations having favorable alleles for disease resistance. Crop Sci 40:44–73
Lewis R, Goodman M (2003) Incorporation of tropical maize germplasm into inbred lines derived from temperate × temperate-adapted tropical line crosses: agronomic and molecular assessment. Theor Appl Gen 107:798–805
Liu J, Fernie AR, Yan J (2020) The past, present, and future of maize improvement: domestication, genomics, and functional genomic routes toward crop enhancement. Plant Com 1:100–110
Makumbi D, Betrán JF, Bänziger M, Ribaut JM (2011) Combining ability, heterosis and genetic diversity in tropical maize (Zea mays L.) under stress and non-stress conditions. Euphytica 18:143–162
Masuka B, Atlin GN, Olsen M, Magorokosho C, Labuschagne M, Crossa J, Bänziger M, Pixley KV, Vivek BS, van Biljon A, MacRobert J, Alvarado G, Prasanna BM, Makumbi D, Tarekegne A, Das B, Zaman-Allah M, Cairns JE (2017) Gains in maize genetic improvement in eastern and southern Africa I. CIMMYT hybrid breeding pipeline. Crop Sci 57:168–179
Mikel MA (2006) Availability and analysis of proprietary dent corn inbred lines with expired U.S. plant variety protection. Crop Sci 46:2555–2560
Morris ML (2002) Impacts of International Maize breeding research in developing countries, 1966-98. CIMMYT, Mexico
Nelson PT, Coles ND, Holland JB, Bubeck DM, Smith S, Goodman MM (2008) Molecular characterization of maize inbreds with expired U.S. plant variety protection. Crop Sci 48:1673–1685
Nelson PT, Goodman MM (2008) Evaluation of elite exotic maize inbreds for use in temperate breeding. Crop Sci 48:85–92
Palacios-Rojas N, Kruseman G, Fogliano V, Linnemann AL (2018) Sub-Saharan African maize-based foods: technological perspectives to increase the food and nutrition security impacts of maize breeding programmes. Glob Food Sec 17:48–56
Patterson HD, Williams ER (1976) A new class of resolvable incomplete block designs. Biometrika 63:83–89
R Foundation for Statistical Computing (2017) https://www.r-project.org/63
Tallury SP, Goodman MM (2001) The state of the use of maize genetic diversity in the USA and sub Saharan Africa. In: Cooper HD, Spillane C, Hodgkin T (eds) Broadening the genetic base of crop production. CABI Publishing, Willingford, UK
Tester M, Langridge P (2010) Breeding technologies to increase crop production in a changing world. Science 327:818–822
Unterseer S, Pophaly SD, Peis R, Westermeier P, Mayer M, Seidel MA, Haberer G, Mayer KF, Ordas B, Pausch H, Tellier A, Bauer E, Schön CC (2016) Comprehensive study of the genomic differentiation between temperate dent and flint maize. Gen Biol 17:125–137
Wang C, Hu S, Gardner C, Lübberstedt T (2017) Emerging avenues for utilization of exotic germplasm. Trends Plant Sci 22:14–25
Worku M, Makumbi D, Beyene Y, Das B, Mugo M, Pixley K, Bänziger M, Owino F, Olsen O, Asea G, Prasanna BM (2016) Grain yield performance and flowering synchrony of CIMMYT’s tropical maize (Zea mays L.) parental inbred lines and single-crosses. Euphytica 211:395–409
Acknowledgements
The study was part of the PhD research of the first author, supported by the CIMMYT southern African Regional Office.
Funding
The research was funded by CIMMYT (Southern African Regional Office).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ndoro, O., Magorokosho, C., Setimela, P.S. et al. Identification of exotic temperate maize inbreds for use in tropical breeding programs. Euphytica 218, 164 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-022-03119-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-022-03119-4