1 research outputs found
Maize open-pollinated populations physiological improvement: validating tools for drought response participatory selection
Participatory selection—exploiting specific adaptation traits to target environments—helps
to guarantees yield stability in a changing climate, in particular under low-input or organic production.
The purpose of the present study was to identify reliable, low-cost, fast and easy-to-use tools to
complement traditional selection for an e ective participatory improvement of maize populations
for drought resistance/tolerance. The morphological and eco-physiological responses to progressive
water deprivation of four maize open-pollinated populations were assessed in both controlled and
field conditions. Thermography and Chl a fluorescence, validated by gas exchange indicated that the
best performing populations under water-deficit conditions were ‘Fandango’ and to a less extent
‘Pigarro’ (both from participatory breeding). These populations showed high yield potential under
optimal and reduced watering. Under moderate water stress, ‘Bilhó’, originating from an altitude of
800 m, is one of the most resilient populations. The experiments under chamber conditions confirmed
the existence of genetic variability within ‘Pigarro’ and ‘Fandango’ for drought response relevant for
future populations breeding. Based on the easiness to score and population discriminatory power,
the performance index (PIABS) emerges as an integrative phenotyping tool to use as a refinement of
the common participatory maize selection especially under moderate water deprivationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio