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Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

1991

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Agronomy

First Advisor

Zeno Wicks III

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that certain pollen parents have noticeable direct effects on the size and weight of kernels (16). If these effects influence yield, they are of practical interest to the hybrid seed corn producer. Also, direct effects of pollen parent might be important in studies on the inheritance of kernel size. An evaluation of pollen effects on the weight of corn kernels have not been thoroughly studied. Kernel weight increases have been found in some earlier tests from pollinations which appeared to increase heterozygosity and therefore embryo and endosperm size (1, 3, 5, 24). It is indicated that it did not seem justifiable to interpret such differences in terms of plant or acre yield effects because of the possibility that these differences in kernel weight within an ear might merely reflect competition between kernel varying in vigor of growth (12). The conditions and extent that kernel weight and ear weight are affected by the degree of relationship between pollen and ovules is not well documented. It has been suggested that variety tests as commonly conducted, permitting [sic] promiscuous pollination between neighboring varieties, are unreliable because of the direct effect of foreign pollen upon the yield and that farmers may increase their yields by planting a mixture of varieties so that cross-pollination 2 will occur (1,3,16). Objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the effect of pollen-source on the kernel weight, 2) determine the effect of pollen source and percent outcrossing on ear weight.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Corn -- Pollen
Corn -- Breeding

Format

application/pdf

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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