Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Field Crops dept., College of Agriculture & Forestry, Mosul University, Iraq
Abstract
Seven genotypes of maize (Naworoz, Nahrain, Cons, Sagunto, Simon, Torro and Jameson), using three spaces between plants (15, 20 and 25 cm) were grown in July 7, 2023 at Jurgan Village (Al-Sheikhan District), using randomized complete block design in split plot system with three replications. The data were recorded on number of days to tasseling and silking, plant height, upper ear height, number of ears per plant, leaf area, number of leaves over upper ear, ear length and diameter, number of rows per ear, number of grains per row and ear, 500 grains weight and grain yield per plant, then it was statistically analyzed to identify the nature of the variations between the genotypes. Cluster analysis was conducted to collect similar genotypes into homogeneous groups and estimating the degree of genetic diversity between them. The results showed that the mean square of genotypes was significant for all studied traits. Cluster analysis showed that the genotypes were distributed into 5 groups, each of first, second and third groups included one genotype (Cons, Jameson, Simon respectively), indicating that these genotypes differ from others due to their difference in genetic origins, as for other groups, each of them contained two genotypes. It was concluded from cluster analysis results that there was a strong similarity between pairs genotypes: Sagunto with Nahrain and Torro with Naworoz, because they had highest degree of similarity (0.697 and 0.698 respectively), and this requires avoiding crossing between these pairs, while the lowest degree of similarity was between the two genotypes, Sagunto and Cons, indicates the high genetic variation between them and the other genotypes, which may be due to the variation in genetic origin, or to they have preferred genes that are not found in other genotypes, which encourages their introduction into crosses with those that have shown distinct genetic variation to take advantage of the heterosis phenomenon.
Keywords
)
