Molecular characterization and multi-environmental evaluation of field corn (Zea mays) inbreds for kernel traits

Kernel size and kernel weight are important yield attributing traits in maize (Zea mays L.). Though yield has complex inheritance, understanding and improvement of yield per se becomes relatively easy, when maize breeding is targeted for genetic enhancement of yield component traits. In the present investigation, a set of 45 tropical field corn inbred lines were evaluated under three environments and at different location for kernel length, kernel thickness and kernel weight traits. In a given location, environmental influence on the expression of these traits were negligible as it was evident by exhibition of high heritability (broad sense) for the traits under study, however pooled effect of environments showed some interactions. Based on the AMMI stability value, the inbred linesAI 04 followed by AI 37, AI 18, AI 25 and AI 35 were selected as highly stable genotypes for its yield per se. Inbred lines were characterized using gene-based markers linked to kernel traits. It was observed that molecular markers rightly classified the inbred lines into different groups based on their trait means. Furthermore, the makers, umc1890 and umc1120 were putatively linked to kernel weight and kernel thickness respectively. These markers may be utilized for identification of suitable donor and genetic improvement of kernel traits driven maize improvement program.