Improving Maize Grain Yield under Drought Stress and Non-stress Environments in Sub-Saharan Africa using Marker-Assisted Recurrent Selection

Soil management practices that utilize organic matter have great potential to increase productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Field studies were carried out between September 1995 and August 1998 to determine the effects of three leguminous crop species: velvet bean ( Mucuna pruriens var. utilis ), groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) and cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp), and inorganic fertilizer on the soil properties and succeeding maize grain yield when grown in rotation on a sandy soil classified as Haplic Lixisol in the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana. The legumes were established in the minor seasons and maize in all the plots in the major cropping seasons. A 2 × 3 factorial design laid out in a randomized complete block was used. The main plots consisted of three leguminous crop residues and the sub-plots of two fertilizer levels (0 and 45 kg N ha −1 , 19 kg P ha −1 , 19 kg K ha −1 ). The control consisted of maize following maize with the recommended fertilizer rate (90 kg N ha −1 , 37 kg P ha −1 , 37 kg K ha −1 ). On average the Mucuna plots added 4.0 t ha −1 of crop residue to the soil in a season and cowpea 1.0 t ha −1 . The preceding crops had little effect on the soil properties. Leaf area index, total dry matter and maize grain yields were significantly affected by fertilizer. The best maize grain yield (6787 kg ha −1 ) was recorded in the first year on Mucuna plots with half the recommended rate of fertilizer. The cropping sequence with Mucuna residue was the most efficient. The gap in maize grain yield between the fertilized and unfertilized treatments widened each successive year. The interaction between organic matter and fertilizer may have been limited due to the surface application of the organic residue.

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Lime, manure and Inorganic Fertilizer Effects on Soil Chemical Properties, Maize Yield and Profitability in Acidic Soils in Central Highlands of Kenya

Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology ◽

10.9734/ajee/2021/v16i330250 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 40-51

Author(s):

W. Winnie Kimiti ◽

M. W. Mucheru-Muna ◽

J. N. Mugwe ◽

K. F. Ngetich ◽

M. N. Kiboi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Inorganic Fertilizer ◽

Soil Chemical Properties ◽

Fertilizer Treatment ◽

Acidic Soils ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Grain

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), acidic soil covers 29% of the total area. About 13% of the Kenyan total land area has acidic soils, widely distributed in croplands of the central and western Kenyan regions. The high soil acidity, coupled with soil nutrient depletion, negatively affects crop productivity in the region. We conducted an on-farm experiment to determine the effect of lime, manure, and phosphatic fertilizer application, either solely or combined, on soil chemical properties, maize yield, and profitability in acidic soils of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The treatments were different rates of manure, lime, and P fertilizer. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block design replicated ten times in farmer’s fields. Soil sampling was done at a depth of 0-20 cm prior to the start of the experiment, after crop harvest of SR2016 and LR2017 seasons. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory following standard methods. Results showed that lime significantly increased soil pH by 10.6% during the SR2016 and by 17.7% during the LR2017. Similarly, treatments with lime reduced exchangeable acidity and increased soil available P. Treatments with inorganic fertilizers had significantly higher maize grain yield in comparison with treatments with the sole application of lime, manure, and lime + manure. Lime + fertilizer + manure treatment gave the highest average maize grain yield (5.1 t ha−1), while control gave the lowest (1.5 t ha−1) during the LR2017 season. Economic returns were low due to the prevailing low rainfall experienced during the study period during the SR2016 season. Lime combined with inorganic fertilizer treatment recorded the highest returns (128.75 USD ha-1) followed by sole inorganic fertilizer (105.94 USD ha-1) during the LR2017 season. The study recommends a combination of both lime and inorganic fertilizer for enhanced maize production and profitability in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya.

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Recurrent Selection for Maize Grain Yield: Dry Matter and Nitrogen Accumulation and Partitioning Changes

Crop Science ◽

10.2135/cropsci1994.0011183x003400040009x ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 874-881 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

R. H. Moll ◽

W. A. Jackson ◽

R. L. Mikkelsen

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Recurrent Selection ◽

Nitrogen Accumulation ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Selection For

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HETEROSIS OF SOME TROPICAL MAIZE GENOTYPES DERIVED FROM TWO DIFFERENT MAIZE BREEDING ERAS

Bangladesh Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ◽

10.3329/bjpbg.v30i1.36261 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 01-10

Author(s):

Ige AYODELE Sunday

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Recurrent Selection ◽

Stem Borer ◽

Productivity Index ◽

Gene Pools ◽

International Institute ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Varieties ◽

Maize Grain ◽

The Tropics

Heterosis for maize grain yield was studied to identify cross combinations that may be useful sources for inbred line extraction, recurrent selection and, to estimate changes in the maize grain yield heterosis across two breeding eras in the tropics. Field studies were conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan during the cropping seasons of 2010, 2011 and 2012, with 10 open pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) derived two breeding eras (1 and 2). The ten OPVs and the crosses generated from them were evaluated under stem borer infested and non-infested, high-N versus low-N and natural conditions. Mid and High-heterosis (MPH & HPH) were estimated from grain yield data from the tested environments. MPH & HPH under natural, optimum N-Fertilizer application, and borer infested environments were 37.20 and 25.38%, 19.85 and 12.3%, 30.98 and 18.94% respectively. Cross combination DMR-LSR-W (Era 1) x TZSR-Y-I (Era 1) expressed the highest magnitude of (MPH & HPH) (97.70 and 87.15%) for grain yield across the tested environments except low-N. It suggest the suitability of the hybrid for cultivation only in environments with high productivity index. Hybrid ACR99TZLCOMP4-DMRSR (Era 1) x BR9928DMRSR (Era 2) had highest HPH under low-N environments. Suggesting this combination as a good source of genes for the development of low nitrogen tolerance maize varieties in the tropics. Cross combinations that expressed better (HPH) under borer infestation are good gene pools for the development of stem borer tolerance maize varieties in stem borer endemic zone. These crosses hold promise as future candidates for commercial exploitation of heterosis or for the extraction of inbred lines in the tropics. Better (HPH) were derived from the crosses between Era 1 and & 2, indicates the older and newer maize varieties complement each other for (HPH) across environments.

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ARGOS8 variants generated by CRISPR-Cas9 improve maize grain yield under field drought stress conditions

Plant Biotechnology Journal ◽

10.1111/pbi.12603 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 207-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 262

Author(s):

Jinrui Shi ◽

Huirong Gao ◽

Hongyu Wang ◽

H. Renee Lafitte ◽

Rayeann L. Archibald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Stress Conditions ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Grain

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Combining ability of maize grain yield under different levels of environmental stress

Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-204x2009001000013 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (10) ◽

pp. 1297-1303 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Leandro Vagno de Souza ◽

Glauco Vieira Miranda ◽

João Carlos Cardoso Galvão ◽

Lauro José Moreira Guimarães ◽

Izabel Cristina dos Santos

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Combining Ability ◽

Genetic Effects ◽

Tropical Maize ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Cultivars ◽

Stress Environments ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Different Levels

The objectives of this work were to caracterize the tropical maize germplasm and to compare the combining abilities of maize grain yield under different levels of environmental stress. A diallel was performed among tropical maize cultivars with wide adaptability, whose hybrid combinations were evaluated in two sowing dates, in two years. The significance of the environmental effect emphasized the environmental contrasts. Based on grain yield, the environments were classified as favorable (8,331 kg ha-1), low stress (6,637 kg ha-1), high stress (5,495 kg ha-1), and intense stress (2,443 kg ha-1). None of the genetic effects were significant in favorable and intense stress environments, indicating that there was low germplasm variability under these conditions. In low and high stresses, the specific combining ability effects (SCA) were significant, showing that the nonadditive genetic effects were the most important, and that it is possible to select parent pairs with breeding potential. SCA and grain yield showed significant correlations only between the closer environment pairs like favorable/low stress and high/intense stress. The genetic control of grain yield differed under contrasting stress environments for which maize cultivars with wide adaptability are not adequate.

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Analysis of the moisture content of maize kernels in over-ripe plants

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.54.2006.4.5 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 425-430

Author(s):

T. Árendás ◽

L. C. Marton ◽

P. Bónis ◽

Z. Berzsenyi

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Equilibrium Moisture Content ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Maize Kernels

The effect of varying weather conditions on the moisture content of the maize grain yield was investigated in Martonvásár, Hungary from late August to late September, and from the 3rd third of September to the 1st third of Novemberbetween 1999 and 2002. In every year a close positive correlation (P=0.1%) could be observed between the moisture content in late September and the rate of drying down in October. Linear regression was used each year to determine the equilibrium moisture content, to which the moisture content of kernels returned if they contained less than this quantity of water in late September and harvesting was delayed. In the experimental years this value ranged from 15.24-19.01%.

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