Gene Effect of Morphophysiological Traits in Popcorn (<i>Zea mays</i> L. var. <i>everta</i>) Grown Under Contrasting Water Regimes
Danielle Leal Lamêgo,
Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Junior,
Samuel Henrique Kamphorst,
Valter Jário de Lima,
Samuel Pereira da Silva,
Jardel da Silva Figueiredo,
Ueliton Alves de Oliveira,
Flávia Nicácio Viana,
Talles de Oliveira Santos,
Gabriella Rodrigues Gonçalves,
Guilherme Augusto Rodrigues de Souza,
Eliemar Campostrini,
Alexandre Pio Viana,
Marta Simone Mendonça Freitas,
Helaine Christine Cancela Ramos,
Gonçalo Apolinário de Souza Filho,
Carlos Eduardo de Rezende
Affiliations
Danielle Leal Lamêgo
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Junior
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Samuel Henrique Kamphorst
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Valter Jário de Lima
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Samuel Pereira da Silva
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Jardel da Silva Figueiredo
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Ueliton Alves de Oliveira
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Flávia Nicácio Viana
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Talles de Oliveira Santos
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Gabriella Rodrigues Gonçalves
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Guilherme Augusto Rodrigues de Souza
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Eliemar Campostrini
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Alexandre Pio Viana
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Marta Simone Mendonça Freitas
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Helaine Christine Cancela Ramos
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Gonçalo Apolinário de Souza Filho
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Carlos Eduardo de Rezende
Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center for Agricultural Science and Technologies (CCTA), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro—UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
To propose breeding strategies for drought conditions, we investigated gene expression associated with morphophysiological traits in four S7 popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) inbred lines using a partial diallel cross design with two testers. We evaluated morphological traits (plant height; the dry mass of stems, leaves, and reproductive organs; and root weight density (RWD) across five soil sections), water status indicators (leaf water content, cumulative evapotranspiration, agronomic water use efficiency, and carbon isotope signatures), anatomical traits (stomatal number and index), and leaf pigments. Significant variations were observed between lines and hybrids for plant height, shoot biomass traits, water status indicators, and RWD across all soil sections, particularly under water deficit conditions. Overall, the inbred lines were more adversely affected by drought than the hybrids. Dominance gene effects played a significant role in increasing anthocyanin content, cumulative evapotranspiration, stable carbon isotope signatures, and RWD in most soil sections. The superior water utilization observed in hybrids compared to inbred lines suggests that exploiting heterosis is likely the most effective strategy for developing drought-resilient popcorn plants.
