Composition and Flowering Quality of Cacahuacintle Maize Populations from the High Valleys of Mexico.

Cacahuacintle is one of the maize types with great demand for pozole preparation; however, little is known about the variation in chemical composition and flowered grain quality among populations. Physicochemical characteristics, flowered grain quality, pasting properties, and starch microstructure were evaluated in 33 populations of Cacahuacintle maize collected in Valles Altos, Mexico. The seeds samples of corn were obtained in 2017 from local farmers in the states of Mexico, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. Results were analyzed under a completely randomized design, and the ANOVA, Tukey test, and principal components were obtained. The ANOVA showed significance (p ≤ 0.05) in 18 of the 22 variables evaluated. The TE-6, AM-7, and CA-6 populations were outstanding for the good quality of their protein, pasting viscosity, and flowered grain quality. Nine populations collected in Calimaya, estate of Mexico, and Serdan Valley, state of Puebla, presented excellent physical, pasting, and flowery grain characteristics, with reduced protein content and lysine and tryptophan values typical of maize with normal endosperm. The softness of the endosperm grain, starch microstructural, and pasting characteristics of Cacahuacintle maize populations have a fundamental role in reducing the time and increasing the flowered grain volume, properties that were different from those observed in the Chalqueño, included as dent maize check. Variations in grain quality among Cacahuacintle maize populations is an important genetic resource for the improvement of the nutritional and flowering quality of Cacahuacintle maize.

A molecular selection index method based on eigenanalysis.

The traditional molecular selection index (MSI) employed in marker-assisted selection maximizes the selection response by combining information on molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) and phenotypic values of the traits of the individuals of interest. This study proposes an MSI based on an eigenanalysis method (molecular eigen selection index method, MESIM), where the first eigenvector is used as a selection index criterion, and its elements determine the proportion of the trait's contribution to the selection index. This article develops the theoretical framework of MESIM. Simulation results show that the genotypic means and the expected selection response from MESIM for each trait are equal to or greater than those from the traditional MSI. When several traits are simultaneously selected, MESIM performs well for traits with relatively low heritability. The main advantages of MESIM over the traditional molecular selection index are that its statistical sampling properties are known and that it does not require economic weights and thus can be used in practical applications when all or some of the traits need to be improved simultaneously.

Social and environmental factors in the diversity of tomato landraces from the South-Central region of Mexico / Influência de fatores sociais e ambientais na diversidade de variedades crioulas de tomateiro da região Centro-Sul do México

ABSTRACT: In the present study, we investigated the influence of social and environmental factors in the genetic diversity of tomato landraces in the South-Central region of Mexico. A total of 30 tomato landraces, collected in 18 villages with different ethnolinguistic affiliations, were analyzed. We reported that the genetic diversity of tomato landraces is associated with the ethnolinguistic group, weather, and soil-type present in the region studied. Our results showed that there are morphological differences between landraces grown by different ethnolinguistic groups; however, there was also evidence of morphological similarities between landraces from groups with different ethnolinguistic affiliations. Finally, different selection criteria, mainly fruit color, size and shape, plays an important role in the phenotypic divergence among landraces grown in different traditional farming systems.

RESUMO: No presente estudo investigamos a relação da afiliação etnolinguística com a diversidade genética de variedades locais de tomate na região Centro-Sul do México. Um total de 30 variedades de tomate, coletadas em 18 aldeias com diferentes afiliações etnolinguísticas, foram analisadas. Verificamos que a diversidade genética das variedades crioulas de tomate está associada ao grupo etnolinguístico presente na região estudada. Nossos resultados mostram que existem diferenças morfológicas entre raças cultivadas por diferentes grupos etnolinguísticos. No entanto, também houve evidências de semelhanças morfológicas entre raças de grupos com diferentes afiliações etnolinguísticas. Finalmente, diferentes critérios de seleção, como, principalmente, cor, tamanho e forma dos frutos, desempenham um papel importante na divergência fenotípica entre as variedades crioulas cultivadas em diferentes sistemas agrícolas tradicionais.

Caracterización morfológica de poblaciones nativas de maíz del istmo de tehuantepec México / Morphological characterization of native populations of maiz from tehuantepec isthmus México

Con la finalidad de conocer la variación del maíz (Zea mays L) de la región del Istmo de Tehuntepec, considerada el ñarea de la distribución de la raza Zapalote Chico, se colectaron 120 poblaciones nativas, más 12 poblaciones típicas de otras razas descritas. Las 132 poblaciones se evaluron en tres localidades, caracterizándolas con 18 variables cuantitativas, principalmente sobre estructuras reproductivas. Con el auxilio de un análisis de componentes principales se observaron seis grupo, tres de ellos integraron poblaciones conocidas regionalmente como Maíz Chico, correspondientes a la raza Zapalote Chico con valores menores en variables de naturaleza reproductiva, vegetativa y fenológica: los otros tres grupos agregaron poblaciones denominadas regionalmente como Maíz Grande, con valores altos de las mismas variables, y corresponen a una amplia base de la raza Zapalote Chico, con introgresión de las razas Vandeño, Tepecintle y Tuxpeño. La variación genética del maíz se relaciona con la variación ambiental determinada por la altitud, humedad relativa y con la disponibilidad de humedad en el suelo, señalando a la planicie costera del Istmo Oaxaqueño como el área de distribución natural de la raza Zapalote Chico. Se obtuvo un dendrograma usando distancias euclidianas con el método de agrupamiento de vecinos, que revela que los grupos de Maíz Grande evolucionaron hacia poblaciones tardías, y los de Maíz Chico hacia poblaciones precoces y tardías. Se concluye que en la región existe variación genética a nivel de raza y entre poblaciones de la raza Zapalote Chico

Comparación de la tolerancia a la sequía de cuatro variedades de maíz (zea mays L) y su relación con la acumulación de prolina / Comparison of drought tolerance in four maize varieties (zea mays L) and its relation to proline accumulation

Se comparó la tolerancia a la sequía con base en los potenciales hídricos, acumulación de prolina y biomasa, en las variedades de maíz Zacatecas 58 original (Zo), Cafime original (Co) y sus respectivas variedades mejoradas para resistencia a la sequía, Zacatecas 58 Selección Masal 19 (Z19) y Cafime Selección Masal 16 (C16) en condiciones de sequía y riego en invernadero. En la quinta hoja de las cuatro variedades los potenciales hídrico (Psi Pi) y osmótico (Psi pi) disminuyeron conforme se prolongó la sequía; las variedades mejoradas presentaron menores Psiw y Psi pi con respecto a las originales. La acumulación de prolina aumentó conforme se prolongó el periodo de sequía en las cuatro variedades, en diferente proporción. Las variedades mejoradas presentaron mayor acumulación de prolina que las originales, con excepción de la Z19, que a los 38 días de sequía mostró menor acumulación que Zo y mayor acumulación de biomasa. Los resultados permiten establecer que las variedades mejoradas por selección masal en condiciones de humedad restringida en el suelo, han desarrollado un mecanismo de resistencia a sequía semejante al propuesto inicialmente por otros autores, al cual han llamado latencia o resurrección, que les permite sobrevivir en condiciones extremas de sequía, recuperarse completamente y reiniciar su metabolismo normal y crecimiento una vez que hay humedad, donde la prolina juega un papel preponderante