Realization of the bioresource potential of the middle late hybrid of corn Beshtau in the steppe zone of the Chechen republic

The article presents the results of studying the bioresource potential of the medium-late hybrid of corn Beshtau at the All-Russian Research Institute of corn on dry land and at the Chechen Research Institute of Agriculture on irrigation. In the steppe zone of the republic, against the background of the use of irrigation, the application of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N90P120K60 in combination with pre-sowing seed treatment with the agrochemical Bioplant Flora (1.0 l / t) and foliar top dressing with a tank fertilizer mixture Kristalon (3 kg / ha) + Brexil Zn (0, 15 kg / ha) + urea (7 kg / ha) showed high efficiency in realizing the potential of the Beshtau hybrid. Due to irrigation and the use of these fertilizers, it turned out to be possible to increase the grain yield of the Beshtau corn hybrid to 12 t / ha. The application of mineral fertilizers to the soil at a dose of N90P120K60 in combination with foliar feeding of plants with the agrochemical Bioplant Flora at a dose of 1.0 l / ha in 5 leaves and 2.0 l / ha in 8 leaves increased the starch content in the grain from 62.63 to 72.08%, protein - from 10.65 to 12.28%.

Simultaneous Selection of Sweet-Waxy Corn Ideotypes Appealing to Hybrid Seed Producers, Growers, and Consumers in Thailand

Multi-trait selection helps breeders identify genotypes that appeal to divergent groups of preferences. In this study, we performed simultaneous selection of sweet-waxy corn hybrids on several traits covering the perspectives of consumers (taller kernel depth, better eating quality), growers (early maturity, shorter plant stature, and high ear yield), and seed producers (high flowering synchrony, acceptable seed yield, and good plant architecture). Three supersweet corn lines and 8 waxy corn lines were intercrossed to generate 48 F1 hybrids according to North Carolina Design II, and these genotypes were laid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications across 2 seasons between 2017 and 2018. A sensory blind test on sweetness, stickiness, tenderness, and overall liking was conducted to assess the eating quality of steamed corn samples. Two methods of simultaneous selection, namely unweighted selection index and overall rank-sum index (ORSI), were applied to rank crosses, following all targeted groups of preferences. Genetic parameters and genetic gain were estimated to evaluate the effectiveness of those selection methods. Both approaches had similar patterns of preferable realized gain on each given trait and could identify similar top five crosses with only slight order changes, implying that these methods were effective to rank genotypes according to given selection criteria. One of the tested crosses, 101L/TSC-10 × KV/mon, consistently had the highest unweighted selection index in the dry (7.84) and the rainy (7.15) seasons and the lowest ORSI (310), becoming a promising candidate as synergistic sweet-waxy corn hybrid appealing to consumers, growers, and seed producers. The expected ideotypes of sweet-waxy corn hybrid are discussed.

Corn Starch: Quality and Quantity Improvement for Industrial Uses

Corn starch serves as food, feed, and a raw material for industrial use. Starch makes up most of the biomass of the corn hybrid and is the most important and main yield component in corn breeding programs. Starch is composed of two polymers, branched amylopectin and linear amylose, which normally constitute about 75% and 25% of the corn starch, respectively. Breeding for corn starch quality has become economically beneficial because of the development of niche markets for specialty grains. In addition, due to the increased demands of biofuel production, corn ethanol production is receiving more attention. Consequently, improving starch quantity has become one of the most important breeding objectives. This review will summarize the use of corn starch, and the genetics and breeding of grain quality and quantity for industrial applications.

Fertilizers, plant density and nutritional properties of corn grain

The article presents data on the influence of an increasing plant density of an early-ripening corn hybrid on the biochemical composition and fodder properties of grain, depending on the level of mineral nutrition. It is shown that the highest protein supply was noted for the grain obtained in the variants with nitrogen feeding; the increase in crude protein in comparison with the variants on the natural agrobackground was 1.56%. The use of complete mineral fertilization had no advantages over a single application of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers; against these nutritional backgrounds, the increase of 0.97-1.05% was obtained in relation to the unfertilized agricultural background. As the crops crowd, there is a tendency for the crude protein content in the grain to increase. Over the years of testing, the stable influence of the conditions of mineral nutrition and the plants density on the content of crude fiber, crude ash and nitrogen-free extractive substances has not been established. The grain with a higher crude fat content was obtained with the introduction of complete mineral fertilization, and the crowding of the crops led to the decrease in its content in the grain.

The content and characteristics of the accumulation of carotenoids in the grain of modern corn hybrids

The studies were carried out in 2018–2019 in the Belgorod region to identify hybrids and parental forms of corn with increased content of carotenoids in the grain. The material for the study was 4 domestic hybrids, 3 hybrids of the selection of Maizadur, 2 - Syngenta, 1 - Monsanto, 1 - Woodstock, standard - Belkorn 250 MB, as well as 4 parental components of the Decent SV hybrid. During the experiment, agricultural practices traditional for the region were used. The harvesting of the registration plots was carried out manually, considering the weight of the cobs and the harvesting moisture content of the grain. The content of carotenoids in grain was determined according to the developed method in terms of lutein. In 2018, a preliminary screening of a sample of hybrids was carried out. All studied hybrids, except for GIS 1 and GIS 3, surpassed the Belkorn 250 SV standard. The concentration of carotenoids in two domestic hybrids Resource SV (18.4 mg/kg) and Decent SV (19.8 mg/kg) surpassed the hybrids of the Maizadur selection by 35.9 and 40.4% of the Syngenta selection by 8.7 and 15, 2%, Monsanto - by 26.6 and 31.8%, Woodstock - by 8.2 and 14.6%, respectively. On average, over two years, the highest content of carotenoids in grain and their harvest per unit area was observed for the corn hybrid Decent DM (21.8 mg/kg and 169.4 g / ha, respectively), in which the values of these indicators exceeded the Belkorn 250 MV standard in 2 times. Among the parental components, the self-pollinated lines EM 10 3C (26.6 mg/kg) and SB 5-1 SV (29.7 mg/kg) were characterized by a high concentration of carotenoids - the parental components of the Decent SV hybrid.

Alternative methodology for the germination test in chemically treated corn hybrid seeds

The objective of this work was to identify the most suitable conditions for the evaluation of the germination test in corn seeds through the use of different substrates. Two tests were carried out for the development of the work. In test 1, the hybrid Morgan 30A37 PWV was used in a factorial scheme of 5 substrates with 8 chemical treatments. The seeds were treated industrially with the following insecticides: Inside FS, Inside FS + Maestro FS, Maestro FS, Poncho, Inside FS + BioCoat Corn, Inside FS + Maestro FS + BioCoat Corn and Maestro FS + BioCoat Corn. For test 2, the hybrid used was the FS533 PWV in a factorial scheme of 5 substrates and 5 treatments, in which the seeds received the industrial treatment with the insecticides: Inside FS, Inside FS + Maestro FS, Maestro FS and Poncho. Both tests were submitted to two temperatures (20°C and 25°C) and five substrates (germitest® paper; germitest® paper + sand; germitest® paper + soil; germitest® paper + coal and brown paper). The most suitable substrates for installing the germination test in chemically treated corn seeds were brown pepper and germitest® + charcoal. And the temperature of 20°C is the one that allows the most uniform and rapid development of normal seedlings in the germination test in treated hybrid corn seeds.

Joint sowing of corn and soybean in forest-steppe conditions of Western Siberia

The paper presents the results of studies on the cultivation of maise in joint crops with soybean in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia in 2003-2005. The authors studied plant height and dynamics of green mass yield of maise and soybean. As a result of recording plant height, the authors observed that corn hybrid Ob 150 CB by 25-30 cm and corn hybrid Krasnodar 382 MB by 35-47 cm were higher in single-seeded crops by harvest than in joint crops, indicating the negative impact of soybeans on corn. The maise hybrid Krasnodarskiy 382 MB reacted more strongly to the depress- ing effect of soybean than the hybrid Obskiy 150 SV in terms of plant height. This comparison was especially noticeable when it was cultivated in joint crops with the early-ripening soybean variety SibNIIK-315. In the early stages of development, the height of soybean plants in single-species and different variants of common crops did not practically differ. However, starting from the phase of fruit formation, the authors observed a decrease in the height of soybean plants in the row with maise and its increase in the intercropping. By harvesting, the difference between the height of soybean plants of the variety October 70 in the row and across the row was on average 11-24 cm. At the same time, the soybean plants of the variety October 70 were lower in the row with maise and higher in the row spacing than in the single-seeded crop. The height of the plants proves not only the principle of competitiveness but also the effect of the high range of tiering, which forces the legume component to reach for the light. In a mixture with the late-ripening maise hybrid Krasnodarskiy 382 MB, the early-ripening soybean variety contributed to a more significant decrease in the green mass yield of maise than the late-ripening soybean variety October 70. Harvesting, conducted on 2-6 September, showed that joint crops of maise, regardless of early maturity, provided a green matter yield of 23.7-40.1 t/ha. This yield was 49% and 14% lower than in the single-species crops of early maturing hybrid maise Ob 150 CB and 2-3 times lower than the mid-season hybrid Krasnodar 382 MV. The nature of the interspecific relationships indicates a more significant negative impact of early maturing soybean variety SibNIIK-315 on the productivity of maise and especially the medium-maturing hybrid Krasnodarskiy 382 MV, where the differences with the single-species sowing showed the most significant value – 51 %.

253 Impact of Corn Hybrid Selection for Fiber and Starch Traits on in Vivo Nutrient Digestion in Beef Cattle

Evaluation of corn silage digestibility is normally done using laboratory techniques to predict the performance if fed to cattle, which may or may not predict actual performance when fed to cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate two Masters Choice corn silage hybrids previously selected for improved fiber and starch digestion on nutrient intake and digestion in cattle. In a 126-day digestion study, six ruminally fistulated beef steers were utilized in a 3×6 Latin rectangle design with three dietary treatments and six periods (21 days in length with 14 days of adaptation and 7 days of collection). Diets consisted of 80% corn silage (dry matter basis) of Masters Choice hybrid MCT6365 RIB (MC1; selected for greater fiber and starch digestion) and MCT6733 GT3000 (MC2; older hybrid selected for greater fiber digestion) and were compared to a conventional corn hybrid (CON; commonly grown in Eastern Nebraska). The remainder of the diet included 15% modified distillers grains plus solubles and 5% supplement. Corn silage hybrid did not impact dry matter or organic matter (OM) intake (P ≥ 0.68), but hybrid treatment impacted OM, starch, and energy digestibility (P < 0.02). Steers fed MC1 corn silage had greater (P < 0.01) total tract OM and energy digestibility, as well as digestible energy (DE, P = 0.02) content of the diet when compared to MC2, with steers fed CON being intermediate (P ≥ 0.09). Feeding MC1 also resulted in greater (P = 0.03) total tract starch digestibility than MC2, with no difference (P = 0.12) when compared to CON. Results indicated that feeding MC1 corn silage improved digestion and energy availability to the steers, which allowed for greater average daily gain and improved feed efficiency observed in the corresponding growing trial, while the opposite was true for MC2.