Genetic variation in the feeding efficiency of maize genotypes evaluated from experiments with dairy cows

Genetic variation in the feeding efficiency of maize genotypes was evaluated from experiments with dairy cows. Maize genotypes were chosen to represent a range of digestibilities from previous experiments with standard sheep. The variation in milk yield observed with dairy cows fed genotypes with low or high digestibilities or energy values was about 1.0–2.0 kg per animal per day. Moreover, the range of variation in body weight was about 10–30 kg during the 3 months of the experiments. Hybrids with similar energy values had a similar effect on milk yield, but the intake of each hybrid could be very different when they were fed to dairy cows, even if no difference in intake had been observed in sheep. The higher silage maize intake of ‘DK265’ was mostly converted into a body weight gain rather than an increased milk yield, probably because the milk yield potential of the animals was soon reached. It appeared that those hybrids whose predicted energy value from sheep measurements was low led to relatively low performances in cows. Dairy cow performances also appeared to be related to the enzymatic solubility values of the whole plants. For maize breeders, the prediction of hybrid efficiency in dairy cow rearing must include digestibility and ingestibility factors. The most important challenge for maize breeders now will probably be the adjustment of a criterion for predicting intake because the stover digestibility and the starch content can be predicted reliably with the use of NIRS calibrations.     

Genotypic variation for in vitro criteria and relationships with in vivo digestibility in forage maize hybrids

The aim of this work was to study the genotypic variation for in vitro digestibility and composition traits within maize elite hybrids, and their relationships with in vivo digestibility traits. Experiments using 58 maize hybrids were carried out in four French environments in 1995. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to determine in vitro digestibility (whole-plant and cell-wall digestibility) and biochemical composition (starch, soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin, protein and ash contents). The 58 hybrids were also studied at INRA, Lusignan, France, within a long-term experiment to determine their in vivo digestibility of organic matter and of crude fibre using standard sheep. Genotypic variation was studied and relationships between hybrid mean values for in vitro parameters and in vivo digestibilities were examined. For evaluation and breeding purposes, it is possible to discriminate maize elite hybrids according to their digestibility, especially for discarding low-value genotypes. in vitro parameters, such as in vitro whole-plant digestibility and cell-wall digestibility associated with cell-wall content, can be routinely investigated with NIRS. Accurate criteria that are satisfactorily relevant to reference data of in vivo digestibility evaluated with standard sheep can be obtained to explain about 60% of the variation.     

Variation and covariation of silage maize digestibility estimated from digestion trials with sheep

Summary Variation and covariation for agronomic and digestibility traits of silage maize are reported from a compilation of 22 years of experiments with standard sheep. Genotype effects of DOM and DCF were highly significant, even when genotypes were nested in earliness groups or brown-midrib hybrids discarded (Table 2). The genetic variance of crude fiber content was low, but the variance of the DCF was high. The genetic variance of DOM was about 4 times lower than genetic variance of DCF, but broad sense heritability of DOM was higher because of lower residual variance (Table 3). Genetic correlations between grain or crude fiber content and DOM had similar absolute values, 0.65, so each of these two traits was an important but not the unique determinant of silage maize quality. There was no correlation between DCF and grain or crude fiber content. Yield was not related to DOM or DCF within each group of earliness, allowing some quality improvement without agronomic drift (Table 4). Except for late hybrids, most of DOM differences between groups of earliness came from lowering of minimum value, while maximum values were similar. It was the contrary for DCF, with similar minimum values for all groups (Table 5). There was no obvious correlation between year of registration of hybrids and DOM or DCF, but extra new variation seemed obtained only for low values (Figs 1, 2; Table 6). IVDOM according to the APC process was a poor predictor of DOM, especially when brown-midrib hybrids and earliness effects were discarded; but because heritability of this trait was similar to DOM heritability, such enzymatic processes could probably be used to avoid drift towards poor DOM with hybrids bred for higher stalk strength.Abbreviations APC Amylase Pepsine Cellulase solubility - DDM sheep digestibility of dry matter - DOM sheep digestibility of organic matter - DCF sheep digestibility of crude fiber - DM dry matter - IVDCW in vitro digestibility of cell wall - IVDDM in vitro digestibility of dry matter - IVDOM in vitro digestibility of organic matter - NIRS near infra-red reflectance spectroscopy - NDF neutral detergent fiber - bm₁-brown-midrib-1 allele, bm₃-brown midrib-3 allele     

玉米杂交种水分利用效率及相关性状分析

为充分发挥玉米杂交种的水分利用效率,实现玉米高产、高效的目的,本研究以中国生产和推广应用的玉米杂交种为材料,在多变低水条件下,根据成熟期产量水分利用效率剖析其高效性。研究结果表明,不同玉米杂交种间其水分利用效率存在较大的变异范围,玉米杂交种水分利用效率存在着丰富多样的类型;水分利用效率相关性状方差分析结果表明,产量水分利用效率各构成性状在品种间存在着较大差异,不同玉米品种可利用不同性状达到水分的高效利用;简单相关和偏相关分析结果表明,与水分利用效率密切相关的性状是穗行数、行粒数和百粒重。因此,在生产应用中应因地制宜选用不同玉米杂交种,在品种选育过程中应重视相关性状的选择。     

玉米杂交组合及其亲本的株型性状分析

对56个玉米杂交组合及其35个亲本自交系的株型性状进行了分析.杂交组合的株型性状与产量性状的相关分析结果表明,只有个别性状之间存在显著相关;自交系各个株型性状之间的相关分析结果显示,很多性状之间存在显著的相关.同时,对玉米自交系株型性状的聚类分析结果,可以帮助了解自交系株型特征的相似性,从而间接地反映它们遗传背景的差异程度.这些结果对玉米育种工作有一定的参考价值.     

Genotype × environment interactions for digestibility traits in silage maize estimated from in vivo measurements with standard sheep

The aim of this work was to investigate the genotype × environment interaction for in vivo digestibility of organic matter and of crude fibre in silage maize evaluated with standard sheep experiments. In order to test the genotype × year interaction, the first experiment consisted of taking data subsets out of a 26-year experiment and evaluating in vivo digestibility traits at Lusignan (France) on numerous maize genotypes. In order to test the genotype × location interaction, the second experiment was a specific one whereby five hybrids were cropped in diverse locations and then evaluated from experiments with sheep, at Lusignan. The variation attributed to genotype × environment (either a year or a location) interaction for in vivo digestibility traits was distinctly lower than the variation due to the main genotypic effect. Therefore, the in vivo digestibility of organic matter and of crude fibre in maize genotypes could be accurately assessed from silages cropped in a simple experimental design, which included replicates, but only a small number of years or locations. This also confirmed the results obtained with in vitro digestibility traits from large multi-environmental designs which highlighted the low importance of genotype × environment interactions and contributed to the validation of in vitro criteria.     

Maize commercial hybrids compared to improved population hybrids for grain yield and agronomic performance

Improved maize (Zea mays L.) populations and population hybrids can both be profitable alternatives to commercial single-cross hybrids as well as good elite sources of diverse inbred lines. The objective of this research was to compare grain yield and agronomic performance between early maturing maize population hybrids and current early maturing commercial single-cross hybrids. This is a consequence of our research program targeted at identifying alternative heterotic patterns for the northern Corn Belt. Improved maize populations and population hybrids (S₀ generations) were evaluated in experiments arranged in randomized complete block and partially balanced lattice designs across 29 environments. Grain yield potential of population hybrids was optimally expressed under irrigated conditions. Data across environments showed that 20% of the population hybrids evaluated were not different (P 0.05) from at least one of the commercial single-cross hybrids for grain yield performance, root lodging, and stalk lodging percentages. The average mid-parent heterosis value across population hybrids from different geographic regions was 20.4% with negative estimates observed in only two population hybrids. Breeding efforts toward elite populations and population hybrids have demonstrated that germplasm improvement is extremely valuable and deserves public funding. These efforts should be supported in order to enable the development of elite sources of diverse inbred lines and the development of improved population hybrids for specific markets (e.g., organic) to increase producer options. Public maize breeding programs utilizing recurrent selection methods for germplasm improvement could address the need. These programs, however, should incorporate extensive testing of population hybrids.     

Nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of European maize hybrids developed under conditions of low and high nitrogen input

Maize varieties with improved nitrogen(N)‐use efficiency under low soil N conditions can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Tests were carried to see whether selection of European elite lines at low and high N supply would result in hybrids with differential adaptation to these contrasting N conditions. The objective was to analyze whether genotypic differences in N uptake and N‐utilization efficiency existed in this material and to what extent these factors contributed to adaptation to low N supply. Twenty‐four hybrids developed at low N supply (L × L) were compared with 25 hybrids developed at high N supply (H × H). The N uptake was determined as total above‐ground N in whole plants, and N‐utilization efficiency as the ratio between grain yield and N uptake in yield trials at four locations and at three N levels each. Highly significant variations as a result of hybrids and hybrids × N‐level interaction were observed for grain yield as well as for N uptake and N‐utilization efficiency in both hybrid types. Average yields of the L × L hybrids were higher than those of the H × H hybrids by 11.5% at low N supply and 5.4% at medium N level. There was no significant yield difference between the two hybrid types at high N supply. The L × L hybrids showed significantly higher N uptake at the low (12%) and medium (6%) N levels than the H × H hybrids. In contrast, no differences in N‐utilization efficiency were observed between the hybrid types. These results indicate that adaptation of hybrids from European elite breeding material to conditions with reduced nitrogen input was possible and was mainly the result of an increase in N‐uptake efficiency.     

影响青贮玉米品质因素研究进展

青贮玉米是反刍动物的重要粗饲料来源。优质的青贮玉米具有生物学产量高、干物质含量高,粗蛋白含量高、淀粉含量高,纤维素含量低,消化率高等特征。青贮玉米的品质很不稳定,受多种因素影响,影响青贮玉米品质的因素主要包括青贮玉米的品种、生长季的栽培管理措施、玉米的收割时间、青贮措施、添加剂等。本文综述影响青贮玉米品质的主要因素,为青贮玉米生产提供一定参考。     

西南及四川区试玉米组合遗传多样性分析

采用表型性状分析、SSR标记和系谱分析对186个区试及引种试验玉米组合进行遗传多样性分析。结果表明,各组合间20个表型性状都变异在一个较小的范围内;利用筛选出的60对扩增条带清晰、具明显多态性的SSR引物,共检测到608个等位基因,每对引物检测到3~23个等位基因,平均为10.1个;SSR多态信息量（PIC）分布范围为0.5179~0.9256,平均值为0.7826;186个组合的遗传相似系数变幅在0.6067~0.9162之间,平均值为0.7722,相似系数在0.7000以上的组合有16 499对,占96.9%,供试材料分为10类,且88.2%的组合集中在第4、8、10类;51个系谱清楚的组合中有36个（占70.58%）与美国的PN种质有密切关系。以上结果均表明,供试组合相似程度较高,遗传差异较小,遗传基础相对单一,进一步拓展玉米种质遗传基础仍然显得十分必要。     

陕西省不同年代玉米品种产量和氮效率性状的变化

明确陕西省不同年代玉米产量和氮效率性状响应氮肥的变化趋势,对西北旱区玉米高产氮高效品种选育具有重要的实践意义。本文以1981—2010年间陕西省12个玉米主栽品种为材料,于2011年和2012年在典型旱区陕西长武进行3个氮水平(0、120和240 kg hm–2)的田间试验,分析了不同年代玉米品种农艺和氮效率性状变化趋势。结果显示,不同年代玉米品种籽粒产量随氮水平增加而提高,在施氮0、120和240 kg hm–2处理下籽粒产量增益分别为每年46、65和83 kg hm–2。所有氮水平下2000—2010年间品种产量和生物量显著高于1980—1989年间品种,而秸秆产量变化不明显;现代玉米品种(2000—2010年)产量的增加归因于穗粒数、千粒重和生物量的提高。不同年代玉米品种消光系数随氮水平增加而降低,说明现代玉米品种(2000—2010年)较老品种(1980—1989年)叶片直立,截获更多的光能,致使产量和生物量高。随着年代的递进,玉米品种氮肥农学利用率呈递增趋势,在低氮水平下现代品种氮肥利用效率最高,且显著高于老品种。氮肥农学利用率与氮吸收效率(NUpE)和花后氮素积累量呈显著相关(r=0.75;r=0.72),而与氮生理效率(NUtE)和花前氮素积累量相关性不显著(r=0.42;r=0.39)。说明现代玉米品种氮肥农学利用率提高主要来自氮肥吸收效率和花后氮素积累量的增加。上述结果表明,陕西玉米育种应注重穗粒数、千粒重、氮吸收效率性状和株型结构改良,低氮环境压力选择将有助于旱区玉米高产氮高效新品种培育。     

糯玉米杂交种选育指标的研究

根据糯玉米区域试验资料,对影响籽粒产量的株型、产量性状及籽粒营养成分进行了研究。结果表明,紧凑型杂交种的籽粒产量及大部分产量性状高于平展型杂交种;穗长、穗粗和千粒重是影响籽粒产量的主导因素;不同杂交种之间在籽粒营养成分及果皮厚度上存在着明显差异。因此认为,株型紧凑、营养成分含量高及果皮薄的大穗大粒型杂交种是糯玉米育种的主要目标。     

不同熟期夏玉米品种籽粒灌浆与脱水特性及其密度效应

研究不同熟期夏玉米品种籽粒灌浆与脱水特性及种植密度的调控作用, 以期为黄淮海地区夏玉米籽粒机收提供科学依据。2016—2017年在山东农业大学玉米科技创新园, 种植早熟玉米品种登海518 (DH518)、衡早8号(HZ8)和中晚熟玉米品种郑单958 (ZD958)、登海605 (DH605), 设60 000、75 000、90 000株 hm ^-23个种植密度。结果表明, 早熟品种DH518、HZ8较中晚熟品种ZD958、DH605灌浆期短, 产量低。4个品种生理成熟时的籽粒含水率与其生育期相关性不显著, 早熟品种籽粒后期脱水速率快, DH518和HZ8从籽粒达最大含水量到生理成熟的脱水速率均值较ZD958和DH605两年分别高0.015% °C ^-1和0.014% °C ^-1。相关性分析显示, 籽粒脱水速率与灌浆速率相关性不显著, 生育后期籽粒含水率与茎鞘、叶片含水率呈显著正相关, 与苞叶、穗轴含水率呈极显著正相关。随种植密度的增加, 不同品种籽粒灌浆期缩短, 平均灌浆速率降低, 籽粒生理成熟时的含水率降低。合理增加种植密度能够显著提高不同熟期夏玉米品种的产量。     

Evaluation of the contribution of teosinte to the improvement of agronomic,grain quality and yield traits in maize (Zea mays)

Teosinte, an ancestor to modern maize, displays an excellent performance regarding resistance to stress, but its yield potential has rarely been reported. To evaluate the potential contribution of teosinte to maize improvement, two maize–teosinte backcrossed recombination inbred line (RIL) populations and their corresponding test-cross hybrids were planted for trait assessment. In RN and ZP RIL populations, the average coefficients of variation of 31 agronomic traits were 9.14% (Range, 0.38%‒25.21%) and 6.85% (Range, 0.55%‒27.73%), respectively. The correlation coefficients of 13 common shared traits between RIL populations and test-cross hybrid populations ranged from 0.10 to 0.60 and from 0.06 to 0.72, respectively. A total of 39 and 3 recombined inbred lines, and 29 and 47 test-cross hybrids exhibited higher yields than their checks (RP125, Zheng58, CD189 and ZD958) with the BLUP data, respectively. Furthermore, four test-cross hybrids including RN034/SCML1950, ZP068/Chang7-2, ZP079/Chang7-2 and ZP122/Chang7-2 showed a more stable yield performance, with yield gains of +7.07%, +3.64%, +5.83% and +3.82% over checks, respectively. In conclusion, teosinte could serve as an alien germplasm for maize breeding.     

Combining ability and heterosis of elite drought-tolerant maize inbred lines evaluated in diverse environments of lowland tropics

Estimates of combining abilities and heterosis of inbred lines are imperative for selection of suitable parents of maize hybrids. This study examined the combining ability of 24 drought-tolerant maize inbred lines, 12 each from International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The lines were allotted into six groups each comprising four lines. The four lines in one group were used as females and crossed to the four lines in another group as males in six different sets using a North Carolina Design II mating scheme to generate 96 hybrids. The hybrids were evaluated together with four checks across six environments in the rainforest and savannah agro-ecologies of Nigeria between 2011 and 2012. The parental inbred lines were also evaluated in separate trial in each location. Significant hybrids × environment interaction was observed for grain yield and other measured traits. GCA effects accounted for 83.3% of the variation for grain yield at Bagauda, 78.1% at Saminaka, and 77.7% at Ikenne. GCA also contributed 91.1 and 80.0% to the variation observed for plant height and ear aspect, respectively, across the environments. Significant SCA × environment interaction detected for grain yield suggests that hybrids were not stable across test environments. Prediction of grain yield in hybrids using midparent values resulted in a R ² value of 0.13. Midparent heterosis for grain yield varied from 80 to 411%, with the top 36 hybrids recording >200%. Four CIMMYT (EXL02, EXL06, EXL04 and EXL16) and three IITA (ADL33, ADL41, and ADL32) inbred lines had positive and significant GCA effects for grain yield across environments. The novel alleles present in the CIMMYT lines will improve the adapted IITA germplasm in a new population for extracting new set of more productive inbred lines for developing adapted high yielding drought-tolerant maize hybrids.     

The Effect of Plastic Mulch and Greenhouse-Raised Seedlings on Yield of Maize

The yield of maize ( Zea mays L.) can be increased appreciably if canopy closure is brought forward. In France and Germany, the use of plastic mulch has boosted dry matter yields of silage maize by approximately 4 t/ha. In Germany, the grain yield of maize plants grown from greenhouse-raised seedlings was 2.4 t/ha more than that of plants grown conventionally. The present study aimed to review and quantify the effect of the use of plastic mulch and greenhouse-raised seedlings on yield of maize. In field trials the effect of a photo-degradable transparent plastic mulch on the yield of two hybrids: Clipper (early-maturing) and Dea (late-maturing) was tested. In two of these trials the effect of using seedlings raised in the greenhouse up to the five-leaf stage was also tested. Crops with plastic mulch required 10 % fewer growing degree days from planting to silking than the unmulched crops, and this number was more constant between years and sites. On average, plastic mulch increased whole plant dry matter content from 29 % to 33 %, and the dry matter of the ear from 45 % to 52 %. In Dea , dry matter yields of the whole plant and of the ear rose by 2.6 and 2.1 t/ha respectively. In Clipper the yield increases were half as large. The regression of whole plant dry matter yield on the sum of global radiation from silking to harvest was similar for mulched and unmulched crops. This suggests that the yield increases obtained with the plastic mulch were largely attributable to advancement of canopy establishment. The whole-plant dry matter yield of plants initially raised in the greenhouse was similar to that of maize sown in situ, but the ear dry matter yield was 2.4 t/ha higher.     

Genetic variation and selection criterion for digestibility traits of forage maize

Summary Variations in feeding value characteristics were studied on a factorial mating design, within a multilocal network. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), starch, soluble carbohydrate, protein and ash contents were evaluated on whole plant samples. The in vitro digestibility of the non-starch and non-soluble carbohydrate plant part (IVDNSC) was also computed from near infra-red reflectance spectroscopy estimations of IVDDM, starch and soluble carbohydrate contents. Variations due to general combining ability (GCA) were more important, for all traits, than variations due to specific combining ability (SCA). Variations due to the GCA × environment interaction were also sizeable and were partly explained by the earliness of the lines. IVDDM was primarily influenced by the relative proportions of cell walls and starch in the whole plant, which were particularly susceptible to the development stage of the plants, at harvest. When adjusted for earliness, there was generally no significant relation between the line per se value and GCA performance in the biochemical constituent contents of the plant. On the contrary, IVDNSC seemed to be a feeding value trait worth evaluating at the inbred line level. It was also almost independent of the ripening stage and could be easily computed from whole plant samples. IVDNSC, with a simultaneous control of starch content, might be a good selection criterion for evaluating and improving the nutritive value of forage maize.     

Phenotypic correlations between maize inbreds and their single cross hybrids in short season areas

Summary This study was conducted to determine the relationships among various agronomic traits in inbreds, hybrids and between inbreds and their progeny of maize in short season areas. Phenotypic correlations of each measured trait between as well as among hybrids and inbreds were not the same. The highest correlation coefficient (r=0.78) was obtained between days to anthesis and yield. The high yielding inbreds did not necessarily give rise to high yielding progeny. Given that days to anthesis plays an important role in two major traits (yield and moisture) for hybrids, an emphasis on optimum anthesis dates during inbred development could be a useful criterion for the prediction of hybrid performance in short season areas.     

First in vivo assessment of feeding value of Festulolium hybrids derived from Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens and selection for palatability

This paper reports on the first results of feeding value experiments, assessed with sheep, of hybrids between tetraploid Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, 2n = 4×= 28) and a progenitor of tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens (2n = 4×= 28). Three hybrid populations resulting from either high, low or no selection for palatability were compared with a variety of Italian ryegrass as control and two varieties of the cultivated hexaploid (2n = 6×= 42) tall fescue, one of which had been selected for high palatability. On average, the hybrid populations were found to be as palatable as the improved tall fescue with voluntary intake (VI), in vivo digestibility of organic matter (DOM), and net energy expressed in fodder units for milk, similar to the best palatable tall fescue and to Italian ryegrass. However, selection for improved palatability among hybrids did not result in any further improvement of other traits, except VI in the hybrid selected for high palatability which significantly exceeded VI of Italian ryegrass. In conclusion, intergeneric hybridization between L. multiflorum and F. arundinacea var. glaucescens led to an immediate increase of feeding value compared with selection for palatability in tall fescue. However, to improve feeding value of hybrids further, similar selection for high palatability appeared questionable and possibly detrimental for other agronomic traits because of complicated inheritance in tetraploid L. multiflorum×F. glaucescens hybrids.     

十个玉米推广种抗旱力的分析

本研究以我国玉米当前有代表性的１０个推广种为材料，在半干旱地工设立田间水源控制设施，分不浇水区（旱区）与浇水区（水区）分析玉米杂交种的产量及产量因素的干旱系数，经济学产量的水分利用率和所需积温。测定玉米杂交种的抗旱力试验所获得的主要结果如下：（１）不同玉米杂交种对干旱的反应不尽相同，试材可以人为不敏感组与敏感组两组。不敏感组以遗长１０１号，掖单４号，农大６０号为代表，产量干旱系数分别为２．３％，８