Can Genetic Progress for Drought Tolerance in Popcorn Be Achieved by Indirect Selection?
Samuel Henrique Kamphorst,
Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Júnior,
Valter Jário de Lima,
Lauro José Moreira Guimarães,
Kátia Fabiane Medeiros Schmitt,
Jhean Torres Leite,
Pedro Henrique Araújo Diniz Santos,
Marcelo Moura Chaves,
Gabrielle Sousa Mafra,
Divino Rosa dos Santos Junior,
Cosme Damião Cruz,
Eliemar Campostrini
Affiliations
Samuel Henrique Kamphorst
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Júnior
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Valter Jário de Lima
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Lauro José Moreira Guimarães
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Rod. MG 424, Km 65, Sete Lagoas MG 35701-970, Brazil
Kátia Fabiane Medeiros Schmitt
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Jhean Torres Leite
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Pedro Henrique Araújo Diniz Santos
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Marcelo Moura Chaves
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Gabrielle Sousa Mafra
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Divino Rosa dos Santos Junior
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
Cosme Damião Cruz
Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rofs, s/n, Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36570-900, Brazil
Eliemar Campostrini
Plant Breeding Laboratory, Agricultural Science and Technology Center, State University of North Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ 28013-602, Brazil
The objective of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect effects of agricultural, morphological, physiological, and root traits of popcorn lines, under two conditions of water supply: full irrigation (FI) and drought stress (DS). A complete randomized block design with three replications was used to evaluate the following traits: expanded popcorn volume per hectare (EPV), 100-grain weight (100GW), mean ear length, mean ear diameter, number of grains per row (NGR), prolificacy (PRO), anthesis to silking interval, tassel length, number of tassel branches, plant height, shoot dry matter, green index (SPAD), and canopy temperature depression (CTD), root angle (RA), tap root volume (TRV), and crown root volume (CRV). Analyses of variance and path analysis, and subsequent partitioning of direct and indirect effects were performed. For the traits EPV, PRO, CTD, RA, CRV and TRV, the genotype x environment interaction was significant. Drought stress had significant effects on EPV (−7.15%), 100GW (−23.52%), SPAD (−29.31%), CTD (87.15%), RA (24.54%), and CRV (44.89%). The traits NGR and SPAD were found to be decisive for the expression of EPV. The exploitation of these traits by indirect selection is expected to induce increments in EPV in environments under DS and FI.
