Hybrid Maize Trials 2007 to 2008 [Alma, Elora, and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada]: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Genetics

To produce adapted maize hybrids, inbred lines are often independently selected from distinct populations. We investigate the genetic basis of two elite maize inbreds’ adaptation to a short-season environment to determine if selection for inbreds in different populations leads to the development of inbred lines with large but hidden genetic differences. We developed selfed recombinant inbred lines (SRILs) and intermated recombinant inbred lines (IRILs) from two early-season adapted lines and examined trait variation within hybrids between these lines and a tester. Hybrids’ flowering time, leaf number, stay green, yield, and yield component traits were measured in multiple locations.