The effects of cytoplasmic male sterility and xenia on the chemical composition of maize grain

Abstract

Sterile hybrids often outyield their fertile counterparts, especially if pollinated by a genetically unrelated pollinator. The combined effect of cms and xenia is referred to as the Plus-hybrid effect. The objective of this study was to determine the individual, as well as, combining effect of cms and xenia on the maize grain chemical composition. The percent of oil, protein and starch in the grain was also observed. Two sterile hybrids, their fertile counterparts and five fertile pollinator-hybrids were selected for the studies. The three-replicate trial set up according to the split-plot experimental design was performed at Zemun Polje in 2008. The obtained results show that the effects of cms on the oil percent was not significant in the studied hybrid ZP 341, while it increased at the significance level of P = 0.1 in the second observed hybrid ZP 360. The effect of this factor on the protein and starch percent was also significant (P = 0.01) in some hybrid combinations. Xenia effects on all three chemical parameters were significant (P = 0.01) in some hybrid combinations. The gained results indicate that the identification of a good combination of two hybrids, in which one would be a sterile female component, and the other a pollinator, would end up not only in the increased yield, but also in the improved maize grain quality.Sterilni hibridi cesto imaju veci prinos od svojih fertilnih analoga, posebno ako su opraseni sa genetski nesrodnim oprasivacem. Kombinovani uticaj cms-a i ksenija se naziva Plus hibrid efekat. Cilj ovog istrazivanja bio je da se utvrdi kakav je pojedinacni, kao i kombinovani uticaj cms-a i ksenija na hemijski sastav zrna kukuruza. Ispitivani su procenat ulja, proteina i skroba u zrnu. Za istrazivanja su odabrana dva sterilna hibrida, njihovi fertilni analozi i pet fertilnih hibrida oprasivaca. Ogled je izveden u Zemun Polju 2008. godine i bio je postavljen po slucajnom blok split-plot eksperimentalnom dizajnu u tri ponavljanja. Rezultati pokazuju da uticaj cms-a na udeo ulja nije bio znacajan za ispitivani hibrid ZP 341, dok je drugi ispitivani hibrid ZP 360 imao povecanje udela ulja u zrnu na nivou znacajnosti P = 0,1. Efekat ovog faktora na udeo proteina i skroba takodje je pokazivao znacajnost (P = 0,01) u nekim hibridnim kombinacijama. Ksenije su znacajno (P = 0,01) uticale na sva tri hemijska parametra u nekim hibridnim kombinacijama. Rezultati upucuju da bi se pronalaskom dobre kombinacije dva hibrida, u kojoj bi jedan bio sterilna majka, a drugi polinator, pored povecanja prinosa, mogao poboljsati i kvalitet zrna kukuruza.