V-530 A NEW VARIETY OF CORN FOR TROPICAL AREAS FROM MEXICO

Abstract

In the southern part of Mexico, approximately three million hectares of corn (Zea mays L.) are planted, of which 75% correspond to warm-humid climates. The average yield in this area is 1.5 ton ha-1, although the yield
potential is greater than 4.0 ton ha-1. This low yield may be due to several factors, including the use of landrace varieties due to the absence of improved cultivars. Currently, an alternative for the producer is the improved variety
V-530, which is characterized by having good yield potential, adaptability to the tropical region, resistance to lodging and tolerance to diseases. In addition, it is an open-pollinated variety so it is easy to multiply its seed and the farmer can use it for several sowing cycles.
V-530 was obtained by the National Institute of Forestry and Agricultural Research (INIFAP) in the tropical area corn program based at the Cotaxtla Experimental Field. It was derived from the Tuxpeño Tropical Cristalino (TIC) population, which originally came from the Tuxpeño Caribe population of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The method used was recurrent selection through families of reciprocal full siblings. In 1984, the second ICT selection cycle began, evaluating 250 families, under seasonal conditions in the states of Veracruz, Guerrero, Chiapas, Yucatán and Campeche. In San Andrés Tuxtla, Ver., a town characterized by high humidity and high incidence of diseases, the best 10 TIC families were selected. With them, an experimental variety was formed that was experimentally evaluated from 1985 to 1987 in the tropical area and in 1988 it was evaluated in validation plots in Veracruz and in eastern Oaxaca. V-530 yielded 4015 kg of grain/ha (average of 54 experiments), which is equivalent to 14, 23 and 18% more than V-524, VS-525 and the local control (creole or improved), respectively. In validation plots it yielded 4111 kg of grain/ha, 23 and 28% higher than VS-525 and V-524, respectively. V-530 was released commercially in December 1989. This variety is characterized by having an average plant height of 211 cm and an ear height of 111 cm. It has semi-crystalline white grain, resistant to lodging, and has an intermediate cycle with 54 days to flower. male and 120 days to harvest, acceptable ear coverage, tolerant to diseases, average yield of 5.0 ton ha-1 and adapts to tropical areas of Mexico. In the National Registry of Plant Varieties it has the number MAZ-220390-149.