Viability of simultaneously selecting for grain yield and seed physiological quality in maize

• Published in: Journal of seed science 2024-01, Vol.46
• Main Authors: Costa, Júlia Carvalho, Vilela, Guilherme Leite Dias, Bruzi, Adriano Teodoro, Piza, Mateus Ribeiro, Pádua, José Maria Villela, Santos, Heloisa Oliveira dos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: heterosis; maternal effect; PLANT SCIENCES; reciprocal recurrent selection; Zea mays L
• ISSN: 2317-1537; 2317-1545; 2317-1545
• DOI: 10.1590/2317-1545v46278696

Currently, the demand is not only for more productive corn hybrids, but also for those with high physiological seed quality. Seed quality is considered the sum of genetic, physical, physiological and sanitary attributes that directly interfere in plant vigor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological parameters of the seeds of parents and maize inter varietal hybrids obtained in a reciprocal recurrent selection program through physiological and image analysis techniques and either to study the feasibility of simultaneously selecting for seed physiological quality and grain yield. Two experiments were performed, one in the field and the other in the laboratory. The evaluated traits in the field were days of female flowering, days of male flowering, insertion of the 1st ear, plant height and grain yield. For the physiological quality, the attributes of germination at four days, germination at seven days, vigor by the cold test, emergence speed index, and the ratio of the root length to shoot length were obtained using GroundEye®. Heterosis was measured for the agronomic and physiological traits. Through the contrast between the inter varietal crosse hybrids and reciprocals we measured the maternal effect. The magnitudes of heterosis allowed us to infer that as greater as the number of selection and recombination cycles, on average, greater heterosis for the traits grain yield and seed germination. The correlated response indicated that, high yield intervarietal hybrids have better seed physiological quality. RESUMO: Atualmente a demanda não é somente para híbridos de milho mais produtivos, mas também que apresentem alta qualidade fisiológica de sementes. A qualidade de sementes é considerada o somatório dos atributos genéticos, físicos, fisiológicos e sanitários que interferem diretamente no vigor das plantas. Objetivou-se avaliar os parâmetros fisiológicos de sementes dos parentais e híbridos de milho obtidos, por meio de análises fisiológicas e técnicas de análise de imagens, bem como estudar a viabilidade da seleção simultânea para a qualidade fisiológica de sementes e produtividade de grãos. Foram realizados dois experimentos, um à campo e o outro em laboratório. Os parâmetros avaliados em campo foram dias para o florescimento feminino, dias para o florescimento masculino, inserção da 1ª espiga, altura de plantas e produtividade de grãos. Para a qualidade fisiológica foram obtidos os atributos de germinação aos quatro dias, germinação