title: Combining ability of S3progenies for key agronomic traits in popcorn: comparison of testers in top-crosses.
abstract: The successful development of hybrid cultivars depends on the reliability of estimated combining ability of the parent lines. The objectives of this study were to assess the combining ability of partially inbred S3families of popcorn derived from the open-pollinated variety UENF 14, via top-crosses with four testers, and to compare the testers for their ability to discriminate the S3progenies. The experiment was conducted in the 2015/2016 crop season, in an incomplete-block (Lattice) design with three replications. The following agronomic traits were evaluated: average plant height, grain yield (GY), popping expansion (PE), and expanded popcorn volume per hectare. The top-cross hybrid, originating from the BRS-Angela vs S3progeny 10 combination, was indicated as promising, showing high values for specific combining ability for GY and PE. For the S3progenies that showed high and positive GCA values for GY and PE, the continuity of the breeding program is recommended, with the advance of self-pollination generations. Fasoulas' differentiation index discriminated the BRS-Angela tester as the most suitable for identifying the superior progenies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil amaraljr@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: do Amaral Junior
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kamphorst
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Pena
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: K F M
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vittorazzi
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética e Melhoramento Vegetal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: de Almeida Filho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mora
mesh_terms: D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005838:Genotype; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*