MORPHOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMIC DIVERSITY OF MAIZE NATIVE TO THE HIGH PLATEAU OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

Abstract

The state of Tamaulipas in Mexico is considered part of the centers of origin of native maize, the maize grown there has important agronomic characteristics and is widely diverse; however, studies on diversity in the state have been scarce. Morphological and agronomic variation among populations of native maize cultivated in the highlands of Tamaulipas was analyzed. Experiments were established in the municipalities of Jaumave, Tula and Güémez, Tamaulipas, under a randomized complete blocks experimental design in the Autumn-Winter 2016-2017 and Spring-Summer 2017 agricultural cycles using 98 populations of native maize and two checks. Thirty-three morphological characters were recorded and subjected to a combined analysis of variance; diversity grouping was carried out using principal component analysis. The principal component analysis explained 73.96 % of the total variation, and showed that the phenological and ear traits were the ones that mainly supported the morphological variation. The cluster analysis allowed the identification of two large morphological groups, where the Raton race predominated. Variation of native maize of Tamaulipas is broad and continuous, in which alleles of interest could be found to incorporate them into maize breeding programs.