YIELD POTENTIAL OF MAIZE LANDRACES FROM COAHUILA, MÉXICO

Abstract

Types and populations of maize (Zea mays L.) adapted to rain fed conditions might have attributes useful for plant breeding. Seven racial groups have been identified in the State of Coahuila, México. The objective of this research was to evaluate agronomic traits and grain yield potential of 90 maize populations collected in the State of Coahuila. The evaluation was performed at two locations: El Mezquite, Galeana, Nuevo León (1890 m) and General Cepeda, Coahuila (1350 m). The locations x years combination was considered as four environments (MEZ08, MEZ09, GC08, GC09). Populations were grouped according to provenance altitude: low (0 to 1000 m), intermediate (1001 to 1800 m), transition (1801 a 2000 m) and high (higher than 2000 m). Results showed differences (P ≤ 0.01) among groups and among groups x Environments interaction, for male flowering and grain yield; differences (P ≤ 0.01) between populations were also found within groups and populations within group x environments. The populations x environments interaction analysis allowed the identification of three groups according to adaptation to localities: the first one was adapted to El Mezquite (33.3 %), the second one to General Cepeda (42.2 %), and the third group (24.4 %) had stability across environments. Populations 19, 22, 34 and 61 were adapted to El Mezquite; populations 74, 76 and 88 to General Cepeda; and populations 35, 37, 38, 64, 66 and 81 had stability across environments. The racial groups with highest yield potential were Tuxpeño, Tuxpeño Norteño and Raton.