Cold Stress Tolerance Evaluation in Maize Double Haploid Genotypes
Kumari Shikha
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding , Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
J. P. Shahi
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding , Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Saurabh Singh
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Ashok Singamsetti
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
M. T. Vinayan
CIMMYT Asia Maize Program, ICRISAT Campus, Hyderabad-502324, India.
B. Sinha *
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding , Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The experimental materials consisting 218 maize double haploids and two commercial checks were screened at CIMMYT-BISA-Ludhiana-Punjab under natural cold stress (winter sowing) during rabi 2019-20. Data was recorded on leaf necrosis (seedling stage), ear leaf length, ear leaf width, ear leaf area, number of plants per plant, ears per plot, bareness and grain yield. These traits were observed to be highly correlated with cold tolerance and also exhibited moderate to high heritability except leaf width, bareness. DH_1_24, DH_1_67, DH_1_216, DH_1_17 and DH_1_180 are suitable for sowing in the winter season. Leaf necrosis observed as important criteria for selection of cold tolerant genotypes at vegetative stage and bareness at reproductive stage.
Keywords: Maize, double haploids, leaf necrosis, cold tolerance, selection