title: [Analysis on breeding potential of eight synthetic populations to improve a Chinese maize hybrid Zhengdan 958].
abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) populations are potential sources of favorable alleles absent in parental inbred lines to improve elite hybrids. The maize hybrid Zhengdan 958 has been hampered by the lack of favorable new alleles for improving yield and commodity quality. In the present study, 16 testcrosses made by using eight synthetic populations as the donors and the two parental lines of Zhengdan 958 as the receptors were evaluated in 2009 and 2010 at Shunyi, Beijing and Xinxiang, Henan Province for grain yield and test weight. Four genetic parameters were used to determine the breeding potential of eight synthetic populations as the donors to improve the target hybrid. Several synthetic populations were identified as the potential sources of favorable alleles absent in the target hybrid for each trait evaluated. The two most promising germplasms, WBMC-4 and Shanxi Syn3, had the potential for simultaneously improving grain yield and test weight of the target hybrid, which could be used to improve the parental lines Zheng 58 and Chang 7-2, respectively, and further broaden the germplasm base of Chinese heterotic groups PA and Sipingtou.
authors: 1. Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China 2. Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China E-mail: caas06a231@aliyun.com.
authors: Hong-Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Yong
authors: Ming-Shun
authors: MS
authors: Li
authors: De-Gui
authors: DG
authors: Zhang
authors: Xin-Hai
authors: XH
authors: Li
authors: Guang-Tang
authors: GT
authors: Pan
authors: Shi-Huang
authors: SH
authors: Zhang
authors: Ting-Zhao
authors: TZ
authors: Rong
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001947:Breeding; D006823:Hybrid Vigor; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics