1S.S. Babanina, 2V.V. Kirichenko, 2L.N. Chernobai
1Scientific and Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea, ul. Kievskaya, 150, Simferopol, 295034, Russian Federation
2Plant production Institute named V. Ya. Yuriev of NAAS, prosp. Moskovskii, 142, Kharkov, 61060, Ukraine
Summary. We analyzed the world literature on heterosis breeding of maize. The strategy of selection of the initial material has the particular importance in breeding programs, which should satisfy the requirements of breeding, especially high yield. There were numerous attempts to solve this problem in recent decades. However, despite the many genetic, physiological and biochemical hypotheses, the factors of heterosis demonstration have not been cleared yet. There are also no methods for reliable prediction of somatic and reproductive heterosis in maize. Especially acute is the issue of prediction of hybrid heterosis not only of model lines but also of a real breeding material, which generally refers to mixed gene plasmas. Data of the genetic distance between two inbred lines are used in breeding programs. But due to an unknown mechanism of genetic control and environmental dependence of phenotypic markers, they are often considered as an unreliable indicator of genetic relationships. Because of a fast development of DNA technologies, protein markers were practically superseded from the study of population diversity of breeding material. Thus, molecular genetic markers are the central tool in the genetic analysis today and, general, in determining the genetic polymorphism. However, there is still a need for molecular genetic markers that can be used to determine the genetic divergence of the initial material, and, crucially, which can be used to predict the heterosis level. It was suggested that the use of molecular genetic methods would contribute to the development of new approaches to identify the valuable initial material for heterosis breeding. They would provide the reductions of cost for development of new competitive hybrids of maize. The solution of these scientific tasks will improve the efficiency of the heterosis breeding of maize.
Keywords: heterosis, selection of crossing components, combining ability, genetic divergence, polymorphism, prediction of heterosis level.
Author Details: S.S. Babanina, Cand. Sc. (Agr), senior research fellow (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); V.V. Kirichenko, D. Sc. (Agr.), prof., member of the NAAS, director; L.N. Chernobai, Cand. Sc. (Agr), head of laboratory.
For citation: Babanina S.S., Kirichenko V.V., Chernobai L.N. Development Stages and Current State of Heterosis Breeding of Maize. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2016. Vol. 30. No. 10. Pp. 90-93 (In Russ).