Selection of purple Tian corn inbred lines by test cross method

Abstract

Purple corn is a source of anthocyanin having high anti-oxidants. Purple Tian corn breeding contributes consumers to access to healthy food. The objective of this experiment was to select S3 purple Tian corn inbred lines extracted from the F2 hybrid populations and backcross populations between local Tian corn and purple waxy corn. Fifteen elite S3 inbred lines of purple Tian corn were crossed with the three yellow Tian corn tester lines. Forty five line x tester hybrids were planted with three tester lines and two local varieties in the randomized complete block design with 3 replications. It was conducted at Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya province during December 2015 to February 2016. The results showed that all hybrid of six purple Tian corn S3 lines, namely L1 FC/TBK (S3 ) 17-1-1, L2 FC/KKU1 (S3 ) 13-1-1, L4 FC/TDJ (S3 ) 16-1-1, L8 FC/TDJ//TDJ (S3 ) 11-2-1, L9 FC/TBK//TBK (S3 ) 17-1-1 and L14 FC/TKKU1/2*TKKU1 (S3 ) 1-1-1 had purple ears more than 95%, it mean that purple ear genotype of these S3 lines was closely to homozygosity. Inbred S3 lines, namely L1 FC / TBK (S3 ) 17-1-1 and L2 FC / KKU1 (S3 ) 13-1-1 had high general combining ability in terms of yield but their hybrid ears were larger than those of Tian corn standard size. Therefore, they should be self to increase homozygosity for other agronomic traits and crossed with tester lines having small ear and good specific combining ability for further hybrid development program.