The Genetic Architecture of Flowering Time and Related Traits in Two Early Flowering Maize Lines 2007 [Canada]: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Genetics

Flowering time is the major factor in determining maize (Zea mays L.) maturities. Genetic bases of flowering time and other agronomically important traits were examined in a set of interheterotic-pattern recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The RILs were developed from crossing the short-season Iodent inbred line CG60 with the short-season Stiff Stalk inbred line CG102. Recombinant inbred lines were derived through single-seed descent (S-RILs) or intermated for three generations before inbreeding (I-RILs), thereby increasing recombination. In this study the genetic means, covariances, and variances of flowering time (days to anthesis, DA, and days to silking, DS) and a number of flowering-time-associated traits, leaf number (LN), plant height (PH), and stay green (SG), in a set of short-season, interheterotic-pattern recombinant inbred lines (RILs) representing two levels of intermating were examined. The objectives were: (1) to evaluate the genetic basis of DA, DS, LN, PH, SG, and canopy reflectance traits within the short-season parental lines, (2) to evaluate genetic and phenotypic correlations between DA, DS, LN, PH, SG, and canopy refl ectance traits, and (3) to evaluate whether disruption of putative coupling and repulsion phase linkage blocks causes changes in population means, genetic variances, and genetic correlations.