Seed Production, Growth and Grain Yield of Self, Half-sib and Bulk-sib Progenies Developed from an Early-maturing Maize (Zea mays L.) Population

Aims: The objectives of this study are to assess the effect of pollination methods on the seed quality and yield of progenies from an early-maturing maize population and to determine the relationship between seed quality and grain yield of the different progenies.

Study Design: Experimental field design was split plot design with three replicates using the stratum for developing the progenies as the main plot and the pollination methods as the sub-plots.

Place and Duration of Study: Seed Science Laboratory and Teaching and Research Farm, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria between 2013 and 2015.

Methodology: Self, half-sib and bulk-sib pollination methods were used to produce progenies during the late cropping seasons of 2013 and 2014. Evaluation of the progenies developed by the three methods was carried out in the laboratory in 2014 for progenies developed in 2013 and 2015 for 2014 developed progenies. The field experiment was conducted in the early and late cropping seasons of 2014.

Results: Pollination method had no significant effect on germination traits of progenies generated in both years, but significantly affected most of the seedling vigour traits. In 2014, there was no significant effect of pollination method on seed weight before ageing, but germination percentage of progenies from self (86%) and half-sib (90.41%) pollinations were significantly higher than that of bulk-sib (46.40%) pollination after ageing. The speed of germination from self (4.04) and half-sib (4.02) pollinations were significantly faster than that of bulk-sib (5.23) pollination after ageing. Half-sibs and bulk-sibs progenies performed better than the self-pollinated progenies for anthesis-silking interval (2.39, 2.28 and 3.50 respectively) ear length (11.96 cm,12.23 cm and 10.06 cm respectively), ear diameter (3.92cm, 4.00cm and 3.56 cm respectively), kernel row number (12.04, 11.92 and 11.77 respectively) and grain yield (1.63, 1.72 and 0.72 tons/ha respectively).

Conclusion: Self-pollination method produced the highest number of seeds while bulk-sibs pollination method produced seedlings that are more vigorous. Bulk-sib and half-sib progenies produced higher grain yield than the selfed progenies. Only root number of the half-sibs progenies had a positive relationship with yield in the early cropping season