PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPING MAIZE HYBRIDS BY COMBINING HETEROTIC PATTERNS

Abstract

In this work we present a proposal to incorporate genes from exotic maize populations and heterotic patterns to adapted heterotic patterns, so that in addition to obtain the recovered original crosses, using the strategy of combining exotic and adapted heterotic patterns, it takes advantage of genetic diversity generated trough developing new options of maize hybrids with the alleles of interest. To describe the strategy, a case study for developing yellow maize hybrids from adapted maize heterotic patterns of white grain and exotic yellow heterotic patterns as donors, was used. In a comparative analysis, it was determined that the proposal could be more efficient than using reciprocal recurrent selection beginning with yellow populations and the conventional backcrossing methods. The included early test in this proposal, would lead to select segregating yellow lines with outstanding general combining ability to reduce costs in line evaluation and would allow being more successful in selecting recovered yellow lines. The combination and complementation between adapted and exotic populations or heterotic patterns would allow taking advantage
of adapted and exotic germplasm, because it would be possible to develop different types of yellow maize hybrids with the recovered yellow lines, in comparison to reciprocal recurrent selection and conventional methods where only recovered crosses similar to the originals could be developed.