AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF PIGMENTED CORN FROM COAHUILA, MÉXICO

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Objective: We performed the agronomical characterization of 52 pigmented corn populations from the state of Coahuila in order to identify those with outstanding agronomical potential and also to establish the genetic background of a breeding program focused in the improvement of varieties with grain yield potential, adaptation capacity to the regional production conditions and of superior nutritional and bioactive contents. Design/methodology: Through an incomplete block design in an alpha lattice arrangement, we evaluated two experiments in two representative locations of the southeastern agricultural area of Coahuila: a) Yellow populations, mostly from Tuxpeño, Ratón and Tuxpeño Norteño races and b) Anthocyanic populations (blue, red and purple), mainly represented by Cónico Norteño, Elotes Cónicos and Ratón races.

Results: The results showed a contrasting environmental effect between locations, with differences in grain yield up to 78 %; a 25 days’ difference in flowering, 53 cm in plant height and up to 8 plants without ear; this performance was due to the agricultural potential of each location. We observed that in both locations the yellow populations outstanding by their superior performance were: from the Tuxpeño race: COAH068, COAH089, COAH177 and COAH215, and Celaya race: COAH075. The outstanding anthocyanin populations were: Ratón race: COAH23 and COAH203, Elotes Cónicos race: COAH246 and COAH019, and Elotes Occidentales race: COAH021. Also we found populations with adaptation to a location.

Conclusions: We consider that among the diversity of the pigmented corn from Coahuila there are populations of superior agronomic expression that could be used as the genetic background to improve the production and the nutritional quality of the grain and the food products that can be derived from them.