Breeding of maize types with specific traits at the Maize Research Institute, Zemun Polje

Abstract

Maize is primarily grown as an energy crop, but the use of different specific versions, such as high-oil maize, high-lysine maize, waxy maize, white-seeded maize, popping maize and sweet maize, is quite extensive. Speciality maize, due to its traits and genetic control of these traits, requires a particular attention in handling breeding material during the processes of breeding. It is especially related to prevention of uncontrolled pollination. In order to provide successful selection for a certain trait, the following specific procedures in evaluation of the trait are necessary: the estimation of a popping volume and flake quality in popping maize; the determination of sugars and harvest maturity in sweet maize; the determination of oil in selected samples of high-oil maize types, and so forth. Breeding programmes for speciality maize, except high-amylose maize, have been implemented at the Maize Research Institute, Zemun Polje, Belgrade, for the last 45 years. A great number of high-yielding sweet maize hybrids, popping maize, high-oil and high-lysine, flint and white-seeded maize hybrids were developed during this 45-year period. Auspicious selection and breeding for these traits is facilitated by the abundant genetic variability and technical and technological possibilities necessary for successful selection.Kukuruz se gaji prvenstveno kao energetski usev, ali se dosta siroko koriste i razliciti specificni tipovi poznati kao: visokouljani, visokolizinski, secerci, kokicari i kukuruz belog zrna. Imajuci u vidu zadovoljavajucu geneticku varijabilnost razlicitih svojstava zrna kukuruza, kompozicija zrna se selekcijom moze znacajno menjati u pogledu kolicine i kvaliteta pojedinih sastavnih delova. To omogucava da se u odredjenim granicama "dizajniraju" novi tipovi specificnih svojstava potrebnih za odredjena namene. Specificni tipovi kukuruza, zbog odredjenih osobina i nacina geneticke kontrole tih osobina, zahtevaju posebnu paznju tokom procesa oplemenjivanja. To se posebno odnosi na sprecavanje nekontrolisanog oprasivanja. Da bi se obezbedio uspeh u selekciji na odredjena specificna svojstva potrebni su i odredjeni postupci radi ocenjivanja tih svojstava na koja se vrsi oplemenjivanje, kao npr.: odredjivanje stepena kokicavosti i kvaliteta kokica kod kokicara; odredjivanje sadrzaja secera i duzine intervala za berbu secerca; odredjivanje sadrzaja ulja u selekcionim uzorcima kod visokouljanih tipova, i slicno. Program oplemenjivanja kukuruza specificnih svojstava uspostavljen je u Institutu za kukuruz "Zemun Polje"-Beograd, pre 45 godina. U toku 45-godisnjeg perioda realizovan je veci broj visokoprinosnih i visokokvalitetnih hibrida kukuruza za specijalne namene: visokolizinskih (o2) -5; visokouljanih (u) -8; belih (b) -7; seceraca (su) -28 i hibrida kukuruza kokicara (k) -11.