Journal of
Plant Breeding and Crop Science

  • Abbreviation: J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9758
  • DOI: 10.5897/JPBCS
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 447

Full Length Research Paper

Inheritance of stay green physiological determinants in drought tolerant maize inbred lines

George Terry Epaku
  • George Terry Epaku
  • School of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
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Patrick Rubaihayo
  • Patrick Rubaihayo
  • Cereals Research Department, Buginyanya Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, P. O. Box 1356, Mbale, Uganda.
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Ivan Chapu
  • Ivan Chapu
  • School of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
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Frank Kagoda
  • Frank Kagoda
  • School of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
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Daniel Kwemoi Bomet
  • Daniel Kwemoi Bomet
  • Cereals Research Department, National Crops Resources Research Institute, P. O. Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda.
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  •  Received: 16 June 2021
  •  Accepted: 31 August 2021
  •  Published: 31 August 2022

Abstract

Stay green is the plant’s ability to sustain photosynthetically functional green leaf area for longer periods, even with excessive water stress. This study was done to understand the gene action that controlled inheritance of the stay green trait with the general objective of contributing to breeding more drought tolerant maize varieties. 10 F1 hybrids from crosses between highly performing and the least performing drought tolerant inbred lines as regards selected stay green physiological determinants were planted under a rain out shelter with a well-watered control and excessive water-stress treatments applied from six weeks after planting and eight weeks after planting. With progress in days after flowering, data were collected on relative chlorophyll per unit leaf area (RC: LAUG), maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (ΦII), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and linear electron flow (LEF). RC: LAUG and NPQ were mainly inherited by additive gene action. ΦII was controlled more by the environment than interallelic interactions while LEF inheritance was controlled mainly by interallelic interactions.

Key words: Additive, inheritance, non-additive, photosynthesis, stay green.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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