Identification of Associations between SSR Markers and Quantitative Traits of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers have wide applicability for genetic analysis in crop plant improvement strategies. Marker-assisted selection is an important tool for plant breeders to increase the efficiency of a breeding process, especially for multigenic traits, highly influenced by the environment. In this paper, the relationships between SSR markers and 26 quantitative traits of hybrid maize varieties (Zea mays L.) were analyzed. Association analyses were performed based on 30 SSR primers in a set of thirteen hybrid maize varieties. A total of 112 SSR markers were detected in these genotypes. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 17, with the average number of alleles per locus equal to 3.7. The number of molecular markers associated with observed traits ranged from 1 (for the number of kernels in row, ears weight and fresh weight of one plant) to 14 (for damage of maize caused by P. nubilalis) in 2016 as well as from 1 (for soil plant analysis development—SPAD, the number of grains in ear and fresh weight of one plant) to 12 (for carotenoids content) in 2017. The sum of statistically significant associations between SSR markers and at least one trait was equal to one hundred sixty in 2016 as well as one hundred twenty-five in 2017. Marker trait associations (MTAs) were found on the basis of regression analysis. The proportion of the total phenotypic variances of individual traits explained by the marker ranged from 24.4% to 77.7% in the first year of study and from 24.3% to 77.9% in 2017. Twenty-two SSR markers performed a significant effect on at least one tested trait in both years of experiment. The three markers (phi021/4, phi036/3, and phi061/2) can be a good tool in marker-assisted selection because they allow simultaneous selection for multiple traits in both years of study, such as the number of kernels in row and the number of grains in ear (phi021/4), the number of plant after germination, the number of plants before harvest, and the number of ears (phi036/3), as well as moisture of grain and length of ears (phi061/2).

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Application of SSR Markers for Genetic Purity Analysis of Parental Inbred Lines and Some Commercial Hybrid Maize (Zea mays L.)

American Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.9734/ajea/2012/1579 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 597-606 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Adetumbi

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Ssr Markers ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Inbred Lines ◽

Genetic Purity ◽

Purity Analysis ◽

Parental Inbred ◽

Hybrid Maize

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Genetic Analysis of Quantitative Traits in Synthetic Population 316P02 of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Cereal Research Communications ◽

10.1007/bf03543645 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 29 (1-2) ◽

pp. 77-84

Author(s):

Nenad Vasić ◽

Djordje Jocković ◽

Mile Ivanović ◽

Luiz Peternelli ◽

Milisav Stojaković ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Genetic Analysis ◽

Quantitative Traits ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Synthetic Population

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Aflatoxigenic contamination of freshly harvested white maize (Zea mays L.) from some selected Ugandan districts

10.7287/peerj.preprints.27888 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Timothy Omara

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Ochratoxin A ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Lake Victoria ◽

Total Aflatoxin ◽

Strategic Adaptation ◽

Maize Varieties ◽

Agroecological Zones

The moisture content and total aflatoxin (AF) content of 27 samples of freshly harvested white maize (Zea mays L.) from Mubende (n = 3), Ibanda (n = 3), Jinja (n = 3), Mayuge (n = 3) , Buikwe (n = 3), Hoima (n = 3), Mpigi (n = 3), Masindi (n = 3) and Bugiri (n = 3) districts of Uganda representing the agroecological zones: Lake Victoria crescent, Western Highlands, South East and Lake Albert Crescent were determined in the second season harvest of January 2019 to March 2019. Moisture content ranged from 12.9 to 18.8% (mean moisture content varied from 13.9±0.35-17.2±1.55%) with the highest moisture recorded in maize from Ibanda. The highest mean AF contamination of 11.0±3.01 μg/kg was recorded in maize from Hoima while the lowest AF content of 3.8±1.30 μg/kg was recorded in maize from Mpigi. Despite the fact that all the samples had detectable aflatoxins, none of the maize samples had aflatoxin greater than WHO regulatory limit of 20 μg/kg. White maize in Uganda are precontaminated by aflatoxins prior to harvest. Whereas the spectre of aflatoxigenic contamination of foods remains a ticklish challenge to address, strategic adaptation and deployment of appropriate interventions can help secure a safe harvest. Farmers should plant maize varieties with established maturity periods to ensure timely harvesting. Further research should assess the presence of other mycotoxins as zearalenone, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin A, citrinin, vomitoxin and diacetoxyscirpenol that may co-occur with aflatoxins in freshly harvested maize.

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