Efficiency of indirect selection in maize for future environment by climate change

Abstract

In the Central Mexican Plateau are planted in March and April, more than 800 thousand ha of maize with residual moisture and more than 650 thousand ones under rainfed condition in June. We can predict that residual moisture will disappear by climate change and the entire surface will need to be planted under rainfed. There are many works on maize breeding in residual moisture, and we can ask ourselves if the currently reached advancement by selection will be useful when being forced to postpone the date of sowing. 40 families of half SIBS of a Creole improved population in both

environments were evaluated. Was measured days to masculine and femenine flowering and anthesis-silking interval, long and basal width of the leaf of the main ear, number of leaves above and below the ear, cob height, plant height and ear weight in 8 plants of every family and every repetition. We estimated heritability, genetic correlation, response to direct selection in residual humidity and indirect selection in rainfed environment. Genetic correlation between both environments was positive for all variables, except ear weight. Heritability values were higher in the residual moisture environment for days to masculine and femenine flowering, number of leaves, plant and ear height, and lower for the rest, except floral asynchrony. Selection in residual moisture will cause changes in the same direction when move the population to the rainfed environment, except for ear weight.