The evaluation of photosynthetic parameters in maize inbred lines subjected to water deficiency: Can these parameters be used for the prediction of performance of hybrid progeny?
Abstract
The response of photosynthetic and morphological parameters of plants to drought was examined in 5 maize inbreds and their F1 hybrids, with the aim to establish whether the photosynthetic performance of parents could be used as reliable physiological markers for early breeding generations. The results showed that the non-additive genetic effects associated with a particular combination of genotypes or a particular direction of crossing are at least equally and often even more important as the additivity and that these genetic effects almost totally change with the exposure of plants to drought conditions.
This was reflected in the inability to predict the response of F1 hybrids to drought on the basis of the photosynthetic performance of their parents, which indicates that the practical usability of such parameters in maize breeding programs is rather limited.