Summary
Leaf chlorosis is one of the most obvious symptoms of low-temperature damage in maize. Divergent mass selection for chlorosis resistance was performed during two cycles of selection in two synthetic cold-tolerant populations. Both populations responded to selection, and after one cycle of selection the chlorosis resistant and susceptible selections already differed significantly. The two sets of corresponding C2 populations obtained were used for a growth analysis at 13/8, 15/10, 20/15°C (day/night) during the early phase of vegetative growth. All plants were chlorotic at 13/8°C, and only some at 15/10°C. Resistance to chlorosis increased the survival rate and the growth rate of the surviving plants at 15/10°C. Resistance, however, appeared to reduce the accumulation of shoot dryweight at 20/15°C. The correlated changes in morphology of the shoots due to selection for chlorosis resistance, such as thicker leaves, may in part have caused this undesirable effect. Despite the disadvantage, improvement of resistance is considered to have a positive effect on dry-matter yield and yield stability in areas with cool weather during vegetative growth.
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Dolstra, O., Jongmans, M.A. & de Jong, K. Improvement and significance of resistance to low-temperature damage in maize (Zea mays L.). I. Chlorosis resistance. Euphytica 39 (Suppl 3), 117–123 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043374
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043374