Evaluation of maize half-sib families in different plant density
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-3921.pab1993.v28.3946Keywords:
<i>Zea mays</i>, quantitative genetics, plant density, prolificnessAbstract
Two hundred half-sib families originated from CMS-39 maize population were evaluated in densities of 26,000 and 50,000 plants per hectare, in the growing season of 1988/1989 in Lavras and Sete Lagoas counties, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Plant densities were included in two experiments including one hundred families in each, evaluated in a 10 x 10 lattice design. Grain yield and the contribution of the second ear for total production were evaluated. Genetic and phenotypic variance components were estimated. It was found that for grain yield the CMS-39 maize population presented h2 on a family means basis greater than 40% and that the family x locality interaction was six times higher than the family x plant density interaction. The opposite happened to the second ear contribution for total production and the h2 was greater than 65%, allowing for prediction for successful selection.
