Evaluation of quality protein maize synthetic germplasm for drought tolerance
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Date
2008
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Twenty one Open Pollinated Quality Protein Maize genotypes were evaluated fbr
drought tolerance under three conditions of moisture regimes i.e. pre flowering
stress, flowering moisture stress and optimal moisture to identify genotypes that
maintained high yield under drought and well watered conditions. The experiment
was conducted at Ilonga research station during rain free period of August to
November, 2006, and Selian Arusha during rain season of 2006/07. Yield differences
between moisture regimes were significantly (p < 0.001) different. Optimal moisture
regime had the highest mean grain yield (1.49t/ha) followed by flowering stress
(1.15t/ha) while pre flowering stress had the least mean grain yield (0.9t/ha).
Correlation studies revealed that grain yield was related to number of days to
anthesis, number of ears per plant, plant height, ear height, and leaf senescence. Of
these, plant height, ear height, and number of ears per plant were consistently
positively correlated with grain yield in all moisture regimes. Days to anthesis had
varying correlations with grain yield depending on moisture conditions. Based on
index values, entries 1 (EEQPMOPV-l-EA-#), 6 (EEQPM-13-EA半),10 (EEQPM-
34-EA-#), 13(EEQPM-45-EA-#), 14(EEQPM-49-EA-#), 19(POOL15QPM-SR-#-#)
and 21 (Local check 1) performed better in most traits associated with drought. Grain
yield, numbers of ears per plant, days to anthesis and leaf senescence were important
selection criteria under drought but only grain yield and leaf senescence were
important under both stress and optimal moisture conditions. Nine entries had above
average yield and out of these only 3 i.e. 13(EEQPM-45-EA-#), 19 (POOL15QPM-
SR-#-#) and 21 (Local Check 1) had stable performance across moisture regimes.
Stable and high yielding genotypes should be evaluated under field conditions in the target environments so that farmers can select suitable genotypes to be proposed for
release. Molecular characterization should be carried out to ascertain the degree of
diversity available among the entries identified as best in different moisture regimes.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Maize Production, Drought Problems, Germplasm, Flowering drought stress