GENE ACTION STUDIES FOR PROTEIN QUALITY TRAITS IN ZEA MAYS L. UNDER NORMAL AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS

A complete 8 × 8 diallel set (parents and F1 hybrids) involving eight maize inbred lines was planted in replicated trials. Genetic components D and H (H1, H2) showed that inheritance of quality traits i.e. protein, tryptophan and lysine percentage was under the control of additive effects with partial-dominance under normal as well as drought stress conditions. Inbred line NCMLD4 contained maximum number of dominant genes for protein and tryptophan percentage across water regimes. Additive gene action together with high narrow sense heritability suggested that improvement in maize for these traits through early generation selection can prove fruitful.

[1]  K. Njoroge,et al.  Effects of field conditions, low nitrogen and drought on genetic parameters of protein and tryptophan concentrations in grain of quality protein maize , 2012 .

[2]  H. Groote,et al.  Breeding and disseminating quality protein maize (QPM) for Africa , 2007 .

[3]  J. Messing,et al.  A new opaque variant of maize by a single dominant RNA-interference-inducing transgene. , 2003, Genetics.

[4]  K. Pixley,et al.  Stability of Grain Yield, Endosperm Modification, and Protein Quality of Hybrid and Open‐Pollinated Quality Protein Maize (QPM) Cultivars , 2002 .

[5]  B. Larkins,et al.  Characterization of the Variability in Lysine Content for Normal and opaque2 Maize Endosperm , 1996 .

[6]  James H. Torrie,et al.  Principles and procedures of statistics: a biometrical approach (2nd ed) , 1980 .

[7]  E. Mertz,et al.  Mutant Gene That Changes Protein Composition and Increases Lysine Content of Maize Endosperm , 1964, Science.

[8]  D. Pearson.  The chemical analysis of foods , 1962 .

[9]  F. N. David,et al.  Principles and procedures of statistics. , 1961 .

[10]  B I Hayman,et al.  The Theory and Analysis of Diallel Crosses. III. , 1954, Genetics.

[11]  B. Hayman.  THE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF DIALLEL TABLES , 1954 .

[12]  Ashfaq Ahmad,et al.  Gene action studies for agronomic traits in maize under normal and water stress conditions. , 2009 .

[13]  B. Vivek,et al.  Breeding Quality Protein Maize QPM: Protocols for Developing QPM Cultivars , 2008 .

[14]  Amit Dadheech,et al.  Heterosis and combining ability for quality and yield in early maturing single cross hybrids of maize (Zea mays L.) , 1998 .

[15]  B I Hayman,et al.  The Theory and Analysis of Diallel Crosses. , 1954, Genetics.