Segregation data of maize populations exposed to water-deficit and defoliation stress

Meiosis and recombination lead to gametes with novel combinations of genes
as key processes in evolution and plant breeding. Numerous extrinsic
factors have been reported to affect meiotic recombination of plants. The
goal of this research was to identify simple, low-cost and effective
treatments that affect recombination in maize (Zea mays L.). The
treatments, water-deficit stress and defoliation, were separately applied
to two F1-generation genotypes, B73/Mo17 and Mo17/H99. The F1 plants were
backcrossed to an inbred line to produce the backcross populations that
were genotyped at microsatellite loci on chromosomes 1 and 10. Overall,
1,271 crossovers were observed in the progeny of the water-stressed plants
while 1,092 were observed in the progeny of the non-stressed plants. The
water-deficit treatment may have increased the rates of recombination in
both F1-genotypes while the defoliation treatment was ineffective.