AGRONOMIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NATIVE MAIZES FROM NORTH-WESTERN MÉXICO

Abstract

In this study we evaluated and characterized maize (Zea mays L.) landraces collected in north-western México in the States of Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán and Sinaloa. A total of 90 materials were evaluated at three locations of Jalisco in 2005, under rainfed conditions, for grain yield and other agronomic traits, using a rectangular lattice design 10 x 9 with three replications. Characterization was done in one location on 129 materials by means of 36 morphological traits and by using “biplot” and dendrograms graphs. The best accessions across environments for grain yield and some additional important traits were M05100 (Tabloncillo Perla), M05021 (Tabloncillo) and Tabloncillo BC1, but they were far away of the group where the cross representative of the Tabloncillo (JAL43 x JAL263), and where most collections of Tabloncillo Perla races were located. Groups were defined mainly by altitude of the collection site; the best defined group was that of landraces classified as Mushito, collected at elevations generally higher than 2000 m; this group was distinguished by having higher values of kernel thickness and length of the main tassel branch. Accessions of races Tabloncillo y Tabloncillo Perla formed a group that was defined by their earliness and short plant height. The collections derived from hybrids advanced generations were related to collections of races Celaya and Tuxpeño. M05002 used as white grain to prepare specialty food (“pozole”) was the best to the other accession of the Ancho and others of Elotes Occidentales, Elotero de Sinaloa y Bofo, used as “corn on the cob” and “pozole”.