Multi-trait and multi-environment genomic prediction for flowering traits in maize: a deep learning approach.

Maize (Zea mays L.), the third most widely cultivated cereal crop in the world, plays a critical role in global food security. To improve the efficiency of selecting superior genotypes in breeding programs, researchers have aimed to identify key genomic regions that impact agronomic traits. In this study, the performance of multi-trait, multi-environment deep learning models was compared to that of Bayesian models (Markov Chain Monte Carlo generalized linear mixed models (MCMCglmm), Bayesian Genomic Genotype-Environment Interaction (BGGE), and Bayesian Multi-Trait and Multi-Environment (BMTME)) in terms of the prediction accuracy of flowering-related traits (Anthesis-Silking Interval: ASI, Female Flowering: FF, and Male Flowering: MF). A tropical maize panel of 258 inbred lines from Brazil was evaluated in three sites (Cambira-2018, Sabaudia-2018, and Iguatemi-2020 and 2021) using approximately 290,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The results demonstrated a 14.4% increase in prediction accuracy when employing multi-trait models compared to the use of a single trait in a single environment approach. The accuracy of predictions also improved by 6.4% when using a single trait in a multi-environment scheme compared to using multi-trait analysis. Additionally, deep learning models consistently outperformed Bayesian models in both single and multiple trait and environment approaches. A complementary genome-wide association study identified associations with 26 candidate genes related to flowering time traits, and 31 marker-trait associations were identified, accounting for 37%, 37%, and 22% of the phenotypic variation of ASI, FF and MF, respectively. In conclusion, our findings suggest that deep learning models have the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of predictions, regardless of the approach used and provide support for the efficacy of this method in genomic selection for flowering-related traits in tropical maize.

Agronomic performance and quality of baby corn in response to the inoculation of seeds with Azospirillum brasilense and nitrogen fertilization in the summer harvest.

The association with Azospirillum brasilense promotes better growth and development in corn plants due to biological N fixation, the capacity to help in the synthesis of phytohormones and to improve the use of nutrients by crop plants. However, there aren't specific recommendations for the use of inoculation in baby corn crop. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of seed inoculation with A. brasilense, associated with nitrogen fertilization management, on the agronomic performance and chemical quality of baby corn grown in three summer growing seasons (2014/2015; 2015/2016 and 2016/2017). The evaluated treatments consisted of combination of five levels of seed inoculation (0.0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mL 60,000 seeds-1) based on Azospirillum brasilense, two levels of nitrogen fertilization at sowing time (0.0 and 30.0 kg of N ha-1) and two levels of nitrogen in topdressing (0.0 and 110.0 kg of N ha-1), applied at the V4 stage of the popcorn hybrid IAC 125. The characteristics evaluated were: leaf area index (LAI), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), total husked spikelets yield (HSY) and commercial spikelets yield (CSY), and the chemical characteristics of the commercial spikelets: crude protein content (CPC), starch content (STC) and total sugar content (TSC). The inoculation, when combined with nitrogen fertilization, provided positive responses for LAI and provided an average increment of 6 kg ha-1 to CSY for every 10 mL 60,000 seeds-1 of inoculant added to the seeds. The LNC, CPC, STC and TSC weren't affected by seed inoculation. Nitrogen fertilization provided increments for all characteristics evaluated, except for TSC, which was negatively affected by nitrogen topdressing. The baby corn crop responded positively to seed inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, combined with Nitrogen fertilization.

Bacillus velezensis strain Ag75 as a new multifunctional agent for biocontrol, phosphate solubilization and growth promotion in maize and soybean crops.

Soybean and maize are some of the main drivers of Brazilian agribusiness. However, biotic and abiotic factors are of great concern, causing huge grain yield and quality losses. Phosphorus (P) deficiency is important among the abiotic factors because most Brazilian soils have a highly P-fixing nature. Thus, large amounts of phosphate fertilizers are regularly applied to overcome the rapid precipitation of P. Searching for alternatives to improve the use of P by crops is essential to reduce the demand for P input. The use of multifunctional rhizobacteria can be considered one of these alternatives. In this sense, the objective of the present work was to select and validate bacterial strains with triple action (plant growth promoter, phosphate solubilizer, and biocontrol agent) in maize and soybean, aiming to develop a multifunctional microbial inoculant for Brazilian agriculture. Bacterial strains with high indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, and antifungal activity against soil pathogenic fungi (Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Fusarium solani) were selected from the maize rhizosphere. Then, they were evaluated as growth promoters in maize under greenhouse conditions. Based on this study, strain 03 (Ag75) was selected due to its high potential for increasing biomass (root and shoot) and shoot P content in maize. This strain was identified through genomic sequencing as Bacillus velezensis. In field experiments, the inoculation of this bacterium increased maize and soybean yields by 17.8 and 26.5%, respectively, compared to the control (25 kg P2O5). In addition, the inoculation results did not differ from the control with 84 kg P2O5, indicating that it is possible to reduce the application of phosphate in these crops. Thus, the Ag75 strain has great potential for developing a multifunctional microbial inoculant that combines the ability to solubilize phosphate, promote plant growth, and be a biocontrol agent for several phytopathogenic fungi.

Efficiency of Combining Strains Ag87 (Bacillus megaterium) and Ag94 (Lysinibacillus sp.) as Phosphate Solubilizers and Growth Promoters in Maize.

Increasing phosphorus (P) use efficiency in agricultural systems is urgent and essential to significantly reduce the global demand for this nutrient. Applying phosphate-solubilizing and plant growth-promoting bacteria in the rhizosphere represents a strategy worthy of attention. In this context, the present work aimed to select and validate bacterial strains capable of solubilizing phosphorous and promoting maize growth, aiming to develop a microbial inoculant to be used in Brazilian agriculture. Bacterial strains from the maize rhizosphere were evaluated based on their ability to solubilize phosphate and produce indole acetic acid. Based on these characteristics, 24 strains were selected to be further evaluated under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions. Among the selected strains, four (I04, I12, I13, and I17) showed a high potential to increase maize root growth and shoot P content. Strains I13 (Ag87) and I17 (Ag94) were identified by genomic sequencing as Bacillus megaterium and Lysinibacillus sp., respectively. These strains presented superior yield increments relative to the control treatment with 30% P. In addition, combining Ag87 and Ag94 resulted in even higher yield gains, indicating a synergistic effect that could be harnessed in a commercial inoculant for Brazilian agriculture.

Biochemical composition of the pericarp cell wall of popcorn inbred lines with different popping expansion.

The popping expansion is a characteristic that is positively related with the quality of popcorn. A positive correlation between the volume of expansion and the thickness of the pericarp, and between the proportion of the opaque/shiny endosperm and the grain weight and volume, were postulated. However, there are no reports in the literature that address the importance of cell wall components in the popping expansion. Here, we investigate the biochemical composition of the pericarp cell walls of three inbred lines of popcorn with different popping expansion. Inbred lines GP12 (expansion volume >40 mL g-1), P11 (expansion volume 30 mL g-1) and P16 (expansion volume 14 mL g-1) were used for the analysis and quantification of monosaccharides by HPAEC-PAD, and ferulic and p-coumaric acids and lignin by HPLC. Our hypothesis is that the biochemical composition of the pericarp cell walls may be related to greater or lesser popping expansion. Our data suggest that the lignin content and composition contribute to popping expansion. The highest concentration of lignin (129.74 µg mg-1; 12.97%) was detected in the pericarp cell wall of the GP12 inbred line with extremely high popping expansion, and the lowest concentration (113.52 µg mg-1; 11.35%) was observed in the P16 inbred line with low popping expansion. These findings may contribute to indicating the quantitative trait locus for breeding programs and to developing other methods to improve the popping expansion of popcorn.

Genome-Wide Prediction of Complex Traits in Two Outcrossing Plant Species Through Deep Learning and Bayesian Regularized Neural Network.

Genomic selection models were investigated to predict several complex traits in breeding populations of Zea mays L. and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. For this, the following methods of Machine Learning (ML) were implemented: (i) Deep Learning (DL) and (ii) Bayesian Regularized Neural Network (BRNN) both in combination with different hyperparameters. These ML methods were also compared with Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP) and different Bayesian regression models [Bayes A, Bayes B, Bayes Cπ, Bayesian Ridge Regression, Bayesian LASSO, and Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS)]. DL models, using Rectified Linear Units (as the activation function), had higher predictive ability values, which varied from 0.27 (pilodyn penetration of 6 years old eucalypt trees) to 0.78 (flowering-related traits of maize). Moreover, the larger mini-batch size (100%) had a significantly higher predictive ability for wood-related traits than the smaller mini-batch size (10%). On the other hand, in the BRNN method, the architectures of one and two layers that used only the pureline function showed better results of prediction, with values ranging from 0.21 (pilodyn penetration) to 0.71 (flowering traits). A significant increase in the prediction ability was observed for DL in comparison with other methods of genomic prediction (Bayesian alphabet models, GBLUP, RKHS, and BRNN). Another important finding was the usefulness of DL models (through an iterative algorithm) as an SNP detection strategy for genome-wide association studies. The results of this study confirm the importance of DL for genome-wide analyses and crop/tree improvement strategies, which holds promise for accelerating breeding progress.

A Deep Learning Approach to Population Structure Inference in Inbred Lines of Maize.

Analysis of population genetic variation and structure is a common practice for genome-wide studies, including association mapping, ecology, and evolution studies in several crop species. In this study, machine learning (ML) clustering methods, K-means (KM), and hierarchical clustering (HC), in combination with non-linear and linear dimensionality reduction techniques, deep autoencoder (DeepAE) and principal component analysis (PCA), were used to infer population structure and individual assignment of maize inbred lines, i.e., dent field corn (n = 97) and popcorn (n = 86). The results revealed that the HC method in combination with DeepAE-based data preprocessing (DeepAE-HC) was the most effective method to assign individuals to clusters (with 96% of correct individual assignments), whereas DeepAE-KM, PCA-HC, and PCA-KM were assigned correctly 92, 89, and 81% of the lines, respectively. These findings were consistent with both Silhouette Coefficient (SC) and Davies-Bouldin validation indexes. Notably, DeepAE-HC also had better accuracy than the Bayesian clustering method implemented in InStruct. The results of this study showed that deep learning (DL)-based dimensional reduction combined with ML clustering methods is a useful tool to determine genetically differentiated groups and to assign individuals into subpopulations in genome-wide studies without having to consider previous genetic assumptions.

Genetic Progress of Seed Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Brazilian carioca Common Bean Cultivars Using Bayesian Approaches.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide and is considered an essential source of proteins, fibers, and minerals in the daily diet of several countries. Nitrogen (N) is considered the most important nutrient for common bean crop. On the other hand, the reduction of chemical fertilizers is a global challenge, and the development of cultivars with more N use efficiency (NUsE) is considered one of the main strategies to reduce the amount of N fertilizers. Genetic progress of NUsE has been reported in several crops; however, there was still no quantity in common bean. In this study, our goal was to analyze the genetic progress of seed yield (SY) and NUsE-related traits of 40 carioca common bean cultivars release from 1970 to 2017 in eight environments under low (zero) or high N (40 kg ha-1) in top-dressing. Genetic progress, principal component analysis, correlations among traits, and cultivar stability were analyzed using Bayesian approaches. The lowest values of the deviance information criterion (DIC) for the full model tested indicated the presence of the genotype × N × environment interaction for all evaluated traits. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE) and nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) were the traits that most contributed to discriminate cultivars. The genetic progress of SY under high N (0.53% year-1, 95% HPD = 0.39; 0.65% year-1) was similar to that obtained in low N conditions (0.48% year-1, 95% HPD = 0.31; 0.64% year-1). These results indicate that modern cultivars do not demand more N fertilizers to be more productive. In addition, we observed a high genetic variability for NUsE-related traits, but there was no genetic progress for these variables. SY showed negative correlation with seed protein content (Prot) in both N conditions, and there was no reduction in Prot in modern cultivars. Both modern and old cultivars showed adaptability and stability under contrasting N conditions. Our study contributed to improve our knowledge about the genetic progress of common bean breeding program in Brazil in the last 47 years, and our data will help researchers to face the challenge of increase NUsE and Prot in the next few years.

Testers in supersweet corn lines / Avaliação de testadores em linhagens de milho superdoce

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the discriminatory capacity of tester lines for tropical corn lines converted to supersweet shrunken (sh2) gene, for the development of hybrids adapted to tropical conditions. Lines were used as female parents in crosses with three testers: open-pollinated mixed variety; supersweet line L4; supersweet commercial hybrid Tropical Plus. Four trials were carried out to evaluate topcrosses in Maringá - PR e Sabáudia - PR, Brazil in the main growing season of 2015/16. The following traits were evaluated: total ear weight (TEW, in kg), commercial ear weight (CEW, in kg) and total soluble solids (TSS, in °Brix). The GCA estimates for TEW and CEW were highest for L4. The lines Balu-114 and UEM-25 were selected based on the effects of g ̂ ifor the traits studied and should be used in the establishment of base populations for the breeding of superior lines. The s ̂ ijvalue for TEW was highest for cross BALU-182 x Tropical, while for CEW was the highest value for cross BALU-94 x Mista.

RESUMO: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de testadores quanto à capacidade de discriminação de linhagens tropicais convertidas à superdoce, por meio da incorporação do gene shrunken (sh2), visando a produção de híbridos adaptados às condições tropicais. As linhagens utilizadas como parentais femininos foram os testadores: variedade de polinização aberta Mista; linhagem superdoce L4; híbrido comercial superdoce Tropical Plus. Os quatro experimentos foram conduzidos em Maringá - PR e Sabáudia - PR, na safra verão de 2015/16. As características avaliadas foram: Peso de espigas totais (PET, em kg), Peso de espigas comerciais (PEC, em kg) e sólidos solúveis totais (SST, em ºBrix). A linhagem L4 foi o testador que mais proporcionou efeito de heterose. As maiores estimativas de CGC para PET e PEC foram obtidas por L4. As linhagens Balu-114 e UEM-25 foram selecionados com base nos efeitos de g ̂ i para as características estudadas e deverão ser utilizados na formação de populações base para a extração de linhagens superiores. O cruzamento BALU-182 x Tropical apresentou o maior valor de s ̂ ijpara PET, enquanto o cruzamento BALU-94 x Mista obteve o melhor valor para PEC.

Azospirillum brasilense promotes increases in growth and nitrogen use efficiency of maize genotypes.

The development of cultivars with an improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) together with the application of plant growth-promoting bacteria is considered one of the main strategies for reduction of fertilizers use. In this sense, this study: i) evaluated the effect of Azospirillum brasilense on the initial development of maize genotypes; ii) investigated the influence of A. brasilense inoculation on NUE under nitrogen deficit; and iii) sought for more NUE genotypes with higher responsiveness to A. brasilense inoculation. Twenty-seven maize genotypes were evaluated in three independent experiments. The first evaluated the initial development of maize genotypes with and without A. brasilense (strain Ab-V5) inoculation of seeds on germination paper in a growth chamber. The second and third experiments were carried out in a greenhouse using Leonard pots and pots with substrate, respectively, and the genotypes were evaluated at high nitrogen, low nitrogen and low nitrogen plus A. brasilense Ab-V5 inoculation. The inoculation of seeds with A. brasilense Ab-V5 intensified plant growth, improved biochemical traits and raised NUE under nitrogen deficit. The inoculation of seeds with A. brasilense can be considered an economically viable and environmentally sustainable strategy for maize cultivation.

Diallel analysis and prediction of untested maize single cross hybrids / Análise dialélica e predição de híbridos simples de milho não testados

Popcorn (Zea mays everta) is a popular snack food and very appreciated in Brazil, presenting higher aggregate value when compared with field corn. The aim of this study were to identify superior inbred lines and single crosses hybrids (SH) for popcorn traits, as well as the prediction of the performance of untested single cross hybrids. Sixteen maize inbred lines were crossed in a 9x7 partial diallel, but it was possible to evaluate 47 single crosses in two distinct locations. Predicted genetic values, diallel analysis and the prediction of untested HS were performed by mixed models. Deviance effects for treatments x locations were considered non-significant (p>0.05) for grain yield (GY) and popping expansion (PE), showing an average performance from the HS in the locations. Inbred lines P5-1, P3.3T, GER-P3, P9-1, P12-2 andGER-P12 were selected considering the general combining ability, and should be used for obtaining superior genotypes. Based on the non-additive effects, the single hybrid P3.3T x GERP-P12 was selected for grain yield and popping expansion, and could be exploited in future trials. Neither of the untested single crosses showed desirable performance for grain yield and popcorn expansion.

O milho pipoca (Zea mays everta) é um alimento consumido e apreciado em todo o Brasil, apresentando valor comercial superior ao do milho comum. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar linhagens e híbridos simples (HS) com desempenho superior para as principais características relacionadas ao milho pipoca, além da predição do desempenho de híbridos simples não testados. Foi realizado um dialelo parcial 9x7, dos quais apenas 47 HS foram avaliados em dois locais. Os valores genéticos preditos, análise dialélica e a predição dos HS não avaliados foram realizadas via modelos mistos. Os efeitos da deviance na interação tratamentos x locais foram considerados não significativos (p>0.05) para rendimento de grãos (RG) e capacidade de expansão (CE), indicando um comportamento médio dos HS nos ambientes testados. Com base nos efeitos aditivos, as linhagens P5-1, P3.3T, GER-P3, P9-1, P12-2 e GER-P12 foram selecionados e deverão ser usadas na formação de genótipos com desempenho superior. O híbrido P3.3T x GER-P12 foi selecionadopor apresentar elevado desempenho específico para rendimento e capacidade de expansão, podendo ser utilizado em futuros experimentos. Entre os híbridos não avaliados, nenhum apresentou desempenho satisfatório para as características avaliadas.

Genome wide association study for gray leaf spot resistance in tropical maize core.

Gray leaf spot is a maize foliar disease with worldwide distribution and can drastically reduce the production in susceptible genotypes. Published works indicate that resistance to gray leaf spot is a complex trait controlled by multiple genes, with additive effect and influenced by environment. The aim of this study was to identify genomic regions, including putative genes, associated with resistance to gray leaf spot under natural conditions of disease occurrence. A genome wide association study was conducted with 355,972 single nucleotide polymorphism markers on a phenotypic data composed by 157 tropical maize inbred lines, evaluated at Maringá -Brazil. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were significantly associated with gray leaf spot, some of which were localized to previously reported quantitative trait loci regions. Three gene models linked to the associated single nucleotide polymorphism were expressed at flowering time and tissue related with gray leaf spot infection, explaining a considerable proportion of the phenotypic variance, ranging from 0.34 to 0.38. The gene model GRMZM2G073465 (bin 10.07) encodes a cysteine protease3 protein, gene model GRMZM2G007188 (bin 1.02) expresses a rybosylation factor-like protein and the gene model GRMZM2G476902 (bin 4.08) encodes an armadillo repeat protein. These three proteins are related with plant defense pathway. Once these genes are validated in next studies, they will be useful for marker-assisted selection and can help improve the understanding of maize resistance to gray leaf spot.

Popcorn genotypes resistance to fall armyworm / Genótipos de milho pipoca resistentes à lagarta-do-cartucho

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate popcorn genotypes for resistance to the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. The experiment used a completely randomized design with 30 replicates. The popcorn genotypes Aelton, Arzm 05 083, Beija-Flor, Colombiana, Composto Chico, Composto Gaúcha, Márcia, Mateus, Ufvm Barão Viçosa, Vanin, and Viviane were evaluated,along with the common maize variety Zapalote Chico. Newly hatched fall armyworm larvae were individually assessed with regard to biological development and consumption of food. The data were subjected to multivariate analyses of variance and genetic divergence among genotypes was evaluated through the clustering methods of Tocher based on generalized Mahalanobis distances and canonical variable analyses. Seven popcorn genotypes, namely, Aelton, Arzm 05 083, Composto Chico, Composto Gaúcha, Márcia, Mateus, and Viviane,were shown to form a cluster (cluster I) that had antibiosis as the mechanism of resistance to the pest. Cluster I genotypes and the Zapalote Chico genotype could be used for stacking genes for antibiosis and non-preference resistance.

RESUMO: O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar genótipos de milho pipoca para resistência à lagarta-do-cartucho, Spodoptera frugiperda. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 30 repetições. Foram avaliados os genótipos de milho pipoca Aelton, Arzm 05 083, Beija-Flor, Colombiana, Composto Chico, Composto Gaúcha, Márcia, Mateus, Ufvm Barão Viçosa, Vanin, Viviane e Zapalote Chico. Larvas recém-eclodidas foram individualizadas para avaliação do desenvolvimento biológico e consumo alimentar. Os dados foram submetidos à análise multivariada de variância e a divergência genética entre genótipos foi avaliada através dos métodos de agrupamento de Tocher, com base na distância generalizada de Mahalanobis e análise de variáveis canônicas. Sete genótipos,Aelton, Arzm 05 083, Composto Chico, CompostoGaúcha, Márcia, Mateus e Viviane formaram um cluster (cluster I) que apresentaram antibiose com o mecanismo de resistência à praga. Os genótipos do cluster I e Zapalote Chico podem ser usados para empilhar genes para resistência por antibiose e não-preferência.

A Genome-Wide Association Study for Agronomic Traits in Soybean Using SNP Markers and SNP-Based Haplotype Analysis.

Mapping quantitative trait loci through the use of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in populations of unrelated individuals provides a valuable approach for dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits in soybean (Glycine max). The haplotype-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) has now been proposed as a complementary approach to intensify benefits from LD, which enable to assess the genetic determinants of agronomic traits. In this study a GWAS was undertaken to identify genomic regions that control 100-seed weight (SW), plant height (PH) and seed yield (SY) in a soybean association mapping panel using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and haplotype information. The soybean cultivars (N = 169) were field-evaluated across four locations of southern Brazil. The genome-wide haplotype association analysis (941 haplotypes) identified eleven, seventeen and fifty-nine SNP-based haplotypes significantly associated with SY, SW and PH, respectively. Although most marker-trait associations were environment and trait specific, stable haplotype associations were identified for SY and SW across environments (i.e., haplotypes Gm12_Hap12). The haplotype block 42 on Chr19 (Gm19_Hap42) was confirmed to be associated with PH in two environments. These findings enable us to refine the breeding strategy for tropical soybean, which confirm that haplotype-based GWAS can provide new insights on the genetic determinants that are not captured by the single-marker approach.

Genome-wide association mapping for flowering and maturity in tropical soybean: implications for breeding strategies.

Knowledge of the genetic architecture of flowering and maturity is needed to develop effective breeding strategies in tropical soybean. The aim of this study was to identify haplotypes across multiple environments that contribute to flowering time and maturity, with the purpose of selecting desired alleles, but maintaining a minimal impact on yield-related traits. For this purpose, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was undertaken to identify genomic regions that control days to flowering (DTF) and maturity (DTM) using a soybean association mapping panel genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Complementarily, yield-related traits were also assessed to discuss the implications for breeding strategies. To detect either stable or specific associations, the soybean cultivars (N = 141) were field-evaluated across eight tropical environments of Brazil. Seventy-two and forty associations were significant at the genome-wide level relating respectively to DTM and DTF, in two or more environments. Haplotype-based GWAS identified three haplotypes (Gm12_Hap12; Gm19_Hap42 and Gm20_Hap32) significantly co-associated with DTF, DTM and yield-related traits in single and multiple environments. These results indicate that these genomic regions may contain genes that have pleiotropic effects on time to flowering, maturity and yield-related traits, which are tightly linked with multiple other genes with high rates of linkage disequilibrium.

Inbreeding depression and average genetic components in green corn genotypes / Depressão por endogamia e componentes genéticos de média em genótipos de milho verde

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the inbreeding depression and average genetic components in seven hybrids and two open pollinated cultivars for green corn production, as well as to select the best genotypes in order to obtain base populations for inbred lines extraction. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replications, in a split plot design, with inbreeding levels arranged in the plots and the different genotypes distributed over the subplots, in the municipality of Sabáudia - PR, during the 2014/15 crop season. Higher values of dominance and inbreeding depression were observed for yield of both unhusked and commercial ears. Higher additive effects were detected on length and diameter of commercial ears. The genotypes AM811, Cativerde 02 and AG4051 showed greater probability of obtaining highly productive and higher quality green corn inbred lines.

RESUMO: O trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a depressão por endogamia e os componentes genéticos de médias em sete híbridos e em duas variedades de polinização aberta para uso como milho verde, para seleção de genótipos visando à formação de populações-base para a extração de linhagens. Para a realização do estudo, foi instalado um experimento no município de Sabáudia - PR, no ano agrícola de 2014/15. O experimento foi delineado em blocos completos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, em arranjo de parcelas subdivididas, com as gerações de endogamia e os diferentes genótipos ocupando as parcelas e as subparcelas, respectivamente. As maiores estimativas de dominância e de depressão endogâmica foram observadas na produtividade de espigas empalhadas e comerciais. Os efeitos aditivos foram mais expressivos na herança do comprimento e do diâmetro de espigas comerciais. Os genótipos AM811, Cativerde 02 e AG4051 apresentaram maiores probabilidades no sucesso de extração de linhagens destinadas à produtividade e qualidade de milho verde.

Population structure and genetic diversity of Brazilian popcorn germplasm inferred by microsatellite markers

Background The genetic diversity and structure of 31 popcorn accessions of the germplasm bank of the State University of Maringá were assessed using 30 microsatellite primers. Results 127 alleles were identified from 30 evaluated loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight. The overall mean of the polymorphic loci averaged 79.89%. The primers UMC1549 and UMC1072 detected polymorphism in all accessions analyzed. The mean observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.07 to 0.30 and the highest proportion of heterozygous plants was observed in accession BOZM 260 (Ho = 0.30). The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 60% of the total genetic variation was found within accessions and 40% was found between accessions. The Bayesian clustering approach grouped the 31 accessions into two genetically differentiated clusters. The dendrogram revealed that accessions TATU 2 and ARZM 05 083 are genetically less similar than the others. Conclusions The analysis allowed to identify microsatellite loci with high levels of heterozygosity (UMC1549 and UMC1072). These loci can be indicated as promising for detecting polymorphisms in popcorn accessions and in the monitoring of genetic improvement programs. Moreover, allowed to identify heterozygous accessions (BOZM 260), this accession showed allelic variation at all analyzed microsatellite loci and can be recommended for crosses with plants that have desirable agronomic characteristics, with a view to the broadening of the genetic base of popcorn accessions and developing new cultivars.

Effect of seed coat on the seed germination and seedling development of Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae) / Efeito do envoltório na germinação da semente e no desenvolvimento de plântulas de Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae)

This work aimed to study the effect of the Calophyllum brasiliense seed coat on the seed germination process. To this end, three experiments were conducted in laboratory, greenhouse and screenhouse. From a total of six treatments, five are related to the seed coat (mechanical scarification; mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water, chemical scarification, hot water immersion and complete seed coat removal) and one control. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD). Screenhouse experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design (RBD). We evaluated the total percentage, the speed index and the average time of germination or emergence. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared by LSD test, at 5%. Under the conditions of this work, it was possible to infer that, in laboratory, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water increases the proportion and germination speed index (GSI), in the greenhouse, the complete seed coat removal increases the percentage and emergence speed index (ESI), and in the screenhouse, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water and chemical scarification presented the best results. The average germination time was not significantly different in the three experiments evaluated.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar o efeito do envoltório da semente de Calophyllum brasiliense no processo de germinação. Foram montados três experimentos, sendo estes conduzidos em laboratório, casa de vegetação e telado. Avaliaram-se seis tratamentos, sendo cinco relacionados ao envoltório (escarificação mecânica; escarificação mecânica seguido por 2h em água; escarificação química; imersão em água quente; e retirada total do envoltório) e a testemunha. Os experimentos em laboratório e casa de vegetação foram conduzidos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. No telado, o experimento foi conduzido em delineamento em blocos casualizados. Avaliaram-se a percentagem total; o índice de velocidade e o tempo médio de germinação ou emergência. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste t (LSD) a 5% de probabilidade. Foi possível inferir que no laboratório, a escarificação mecânica, seguido por 2h em água, aumenta a percentagem e o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG); na casa de vegetação, a retirada total do envoltório aumenta a percentagem e o índice de velocidade de emergência (IVE); e no telado, a escarificação mecânica, seguida por 2h em água, e a escarificação química apresentam os melhores resultados. O tempo de germinação não apresentou diferença significativa nos três experimentos avaliados.

A collection of popcorn as a reservoir of genes for the generation of lineages.

In the present study, we analyze the genetic structure and diversity among accessions of popcorn obtained from the CIMMYT International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center that represent the diversity available for current use by breeding programs. The main objectives were to identify SSR loci that were the best indicators of genetic diversity, to measure the genetic diversity within popcorn genotypes, and to analyze the genetic structure of the promising populations destined for use in breeding programs. The mean gene diversity of all SSR loci was 0.6352. An extremely high population differentiation level was detected (F(st) = 0.3152) with F(st) for each locus ranging from 0.1125 (Umc1229) to 0.4870 (Umc1755). Analyzing the genetic structure of eight popcorn accessions was especially important for identifying both SSR loci with high levels of heterozygosity and genotypes showing high heterozygosity (BOYA462 and ARZM13 050). This analysis should be the medium and long-term selection goal for the generation of inbred lines and the future production of new cultivars. Plant accessions ARZM05 083, ARZM13 050, and URUG298 may also be useful varieties that exhibit important agronomic characteristics that can be used through crosses to broaden the genetic basis of popcorn.

Comparação de testadores em famílias S2 obtidas do híbrido simples de milho-pipoca IAC-112 / Comparison of testers in S2 families obtained from the popcorn single hybrid 'IAC-112'

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar três testadores (o híbrido simples modificado IAC-112, a variedade BRS-Angela e a linhagem L.8.2, extraída de um material genético norte americano), para discriminar 64 famílias S2 derivadas do híbrido simples de milho-pipoca IAC-112. As famílias foram avaliadas por seu desempenho per se e em cruzamentos com os testadores. As características avaliadas foram rendimento de grãos (RG) e capacidade de expansão (CE). Foram obtidas estimativas das capacidades geral e específica de combinação, heterose dos topcrosses e a discriminação de cada testador por meio do índice de diferenciação proposto por FASOULAS (1983). Com base nesses parâmetros, o melhor testador para as famílias S2 foi a linhagem L8.2, tanto para RG quanto para CE

This work aimed to analyze three testers (the single hybrid IAC-112, the open pollinated variety BRS-Angela and the S9 inbred line L.8.2) for the evaluating of 64 S2 families derived from the single popcorn hybrid IAC112. The families per se and their respective crosses with testers were evaluated for grain yield (GY) and popping expansion (PE). The general and specific combining ability were estimated according to the partial diallel model, topcross heterosis and the discrimination capacity of each tester through the differentiation index proposed by Fasoulas were also evaluated. The inbred line L.8.2 was the best tester for both grain yield and popping expansion, discriminating reliably the families.