Selection and Phenotypic Characters Description of Reciprocal Cross Breeding Maize between ‘Talenta’ and ‘Provit A1’ Maize

Abstract

Maize is one of important crops in Indonesia. The improvement of maize quality can be achieved by conducting plant breeding. In this research was conducted reciprocal breeding between ‘Talenta’ that has high sugar total and ‘Provit A1’ that has high beta carotene content. The objectives of this research were to select and describe the phenotypic characters of maize as the result of reciprocal crossing between ‘Talenta’ and ‘Provit A1’. As much as fifty F₁ maize kernels that resulted from each of the crossing were planted into different blocks. Then ten maizes were identified the phenotypic characters for each block. The phenotypic characters were observed based on the agronomical characters in Ministry of Agricultural Decree and analyzed based on International Board for Plant Genetic Resources scale. The result of this research showed that the characters of maize that resulted from the crossing and its reciprocal were similar with both of the parentals, especially the type and color of the kernels. Based on the type of the kernels both populations had various kernel types; flint corn, semi flint corn, and sweet corn, and various color of kernels that were gradation from yellow to orange. The observed agronomical characters showed that the height plant, stem, foliage, tassel, ear, and kernel of offspring were almost similar. The description of F ₁ ♀‘Talenta’ was Plant: medium plant height (124–179.5 cm), medium ear height (46–71.5 cm); Stem: no zigzag degree; Foliage: medium leaf angle type, sharp pattern and bent, stripped and curved, medium width (7–9.5 cm), medium length (41–91.5 cm), green color leaf, medium spearing the leaf edge; Tassel: tasseling 50–59 days (medium), the location of the branching side was straight rather crooked, medium kernel density; Ear: silking 52–63 days (medium), cylindrical ear shape, the handle of ear length is 3.5–11.2 cm, the length of cob is 15–21 cm, small ear diameter (3.2–3.9 cm), medium number of kernels (10 rows to 14 rows); Kernel: the length of kernel is 1 cm, the width of kernel is 0.9 cm, many kernel colours (gradation of yellow to orange), type of kernels; flint, semi-flint, sweet. The description of F₁ ♀‘Provit A1’ was Plant: medium plant height (146–236cm), medium ear height (54.5–106 cm); Stem: no zigzag degree; Foliage: medium leaf angle type, sharp pattern and bent, stripped and curved, medium width (7–9 cm), medium length (28–92.5 cm), green color leaf, medium spearing the leaf edge; Tassel: tasseling 49–53 days (medium), the location of the branching side was straight rather crooked, medium kernel density; Ear: silking 50–65 days (medium), cylindrical ear shape, the handle of ear length is 5–12.5 cm, the length of cob is 14–20 cm, small ear diameter (3.6–4.5 cm), medium number of kernels (12 rows to 14 rows); Kernel: the length of kernel is 1 cm, the width of kernel is 1 cm, many kernel colours (gradation of yellow to orange), type of kernels; flint, semi-flint, sweet.