Assessment of Elongation of the Mesocotyl-Coleoptile and Biomass in Parents and Crosses of Corn Seedlings of the High Valleys of Mexico

Abstract

The elongation of the mesocotyl and the coleoptile and other seedling traits were analyzed from 16 hybrids of two seed sizes, five varieties and a control. Sowing was conducted in sand beds during the S-F 2020 cycle, where nine genotypes were identified that differed in the elongation of the mesocotyl: long (H-48, HS-2 and Promesa); medium (H-44-H-52 and H-70); and short (H-49 AE, H-40 and H-32). A total of 36 possible crosses were obtained between these nine parents, which were established in the S-S 2021 cycle, and on sand beds. Results show that seed size affected (pp ≤ 0.05) compared to their parents, with the long × long (1 × 2, 1 × 3 and 2 × 3) crosses standing out for all the traits measured. A strong positive association was obtained (p ≤ 0.01) between the elongation of the mesocotyl–coleoptile, the percentage of emergence, and the production of total dry matter in parents and their crosses.

Keywords

• stress and depth
• vigor
• seed size
• genotype
• crosses