Yield losses due to stalk-lodging in maize (Zea mays L.) have been estimated at 5 to 25% annually. Information on chromosomal arms carrying gene(s) favorable to stalk-quality improvement would be useful to maize breeders. Reciprocal chromosomal translocations (interchanges) were used to locate genes for three stalk-quality traits, viz, stalk-section weight, crushing strength, and rind thickness, in two inbred lines (B14A and B37) with excellent stalk-quality, using two testers (Oh43 and N31) with poor stalk-quality. Genes conditioning stalk-section weight were located in nearly all the ten linkage groups. Six and seven chromosome arms were found to carry gene(s) for stalk crushing strength in B14A and B37, respectively. Rind thickness was found to be controlled by four chromosome arms in B37 and possibly by two arms in B14A. This information may be helpful to maize breeders in improving stalk-quality in maize by transferring favorable chromosome arms by means of chromosomal interchanges. Certain chromosome arms could not be conclusively ruled out. Additional translocations involving each of the following chromosome arms should be studied for this purpose: 1L, 3L, 5S, 6S, 8S, 10S, and 10L. The shriveled (semi-sterile) versus non shriveled (fertile) anther classification method could be reliably used to determine semi-sterility and fertility in a normal growing season.
