XENIA OR HYBRID VIGOUR IN MAIZE SUBSPECIES CROSSES

M. Elsahookie, M.

	XENIA OR HYBRID VIGOUR IN MAIZE SUBSPECIES CROSSES
The Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Science
Article 1, Volume 36, Issue 6, 2005, Pages 57-62
Author
M. M. Elsahookie
Abstract
Four subspecies of maize; saccharata, indentata, indurata and everta were intercrossed. This was to study the direct effect of pollens on seed characteristics (xenia). The result obtained showed that xenia was not exist in the Fl seeds of those crosses for pollens had no direct effect on any seed trait studied. However, the female cytoplasm controlled all seed traits unless hybrid vigour or dominance appears. That was attributed to the fact that female contributes with 2 nuclei and the pollen with one nucleus through fertilization. A maximum of 51.6% hybrid vigour in seed weight was found in saccharata when used as female, while a negative heterosis (- 25.6%) was found in seed weight when everta used as female?The inheritance of colour and shape of Fl seeds was controlled by the female cytoplasm, but in some crosses it gave a midparent value. Meanwhile, dent shape was similar in inheritance to that of colour and shape of seed. The saccharata subspecies gave always a dented seed when used as female in regardless of pollen, while the other three subspecies (when used as female) and crossed by saccharata gave either flint trait or midparent. It was concluded from this work that traits of Fl seeds are under female cytoplasm control unless heterosis or dominance appears. That is to say, hybrid vigour could appear immediately (if exist) on the Fl seeds of the crossed female and not the xenia effect.

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