title: Carotenoid accumulation and agronomic performance of maize hybrids involving parental combinations from different marker-based groups.
abstract: The present study examined the effect of crossing parental lines from two AFLP-based groups on carotenoid accumulation and agronomic performance in hybrids, which were tested in four environments in Nigeria. Environments, hybrids and hybrid × environment interactions had significant effects on carotenoid content. Hybrids had consistent carotenoid levels across test environments. The correlations between carotenoids produced in a specific branch of the biosynthetic pathway were significant and positive. Environments, hybrids and hybrid × environment interactions had significant effects on grain yield and other traits in this study. Several hybrids with high provitamin A content that were competitive to a commercial hybrid in grain yield and other traits were identified in this study. Selection of parental lines with high provitamin A content and desirable agronomic traits from different molecular-based groups may serve as the basis for developing hybrids with greater expression of heterosis in productivity and concentrations of provitamin A carotenoids.
authors.affiliation: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, PMB 5320 Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: a.menkir@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: Abebe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menkir
authors.forename: Melaku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gedil
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanumihardjo
authors.forename: Adegoke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adepoju
authors.forename: Bunmi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bossey
mesh_terms: D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D009549:Nigeria; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism); Agronomic traits; Carotenoids; Hybrids; Marker-based groups