Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Guang-Jauh Shieh, Chan-Lee Ho and Hung-Shung Lu

Abstract:

    Tainan-white (TNW) is a native maize population which has been cultivated for over 80 years in Taiwan, and ultilized as a green corn. The present result indicates that the tiller number of TNW population was largest in Taitung area, followed by Pingtung, Hualien, Yunlin, Taichung and Tainan, when these populations were planted in spring crop season. The environment of collecting areas maybe a main factor conferring the differentiation of the native populations.

    Among culture seasons tiller number of Taichung TNW population showed the order: spring > summer > fall > winter. The result implies that crop season may affect the tiller number of TNW population.

    The general combining ability effect (GCA) and specific combining ability effect (SCA) showed significant effect on tiller numben The contribution of GCA and SCA variance might also be affected by planting seasons. Narrow-sense heritability and GCA/SCA ratio showed the order: fall> summer> spring. But the least dominant gene number controlling the tiller number showed 5 in spring, 4 in summer and 2 in fall. The dominant genes seemed to increase the tiller number in spring and summer; but their dominant effects had no definite direction in the fall, and this might explain that the tiller numbers in spring and summer were larger than that in the fall crop seasons.

Key words:Tainan-White, Maize, Population, Tiller number

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