Studies on correlation of the seed speherecity and seedling characteristics of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines

Abstract

Seedling characteristics such as germination per cent and seedling vigour index becomes a major factor in influencing performance and grain yield of the low phytic acid (LPA) maize genotypes. In this study, seventeen maize inbreds, varying in their phytic acid content which ranges from 2.74 mg/g to 13.89 mg/g were evaluated for finding the relationship among nine characters such as seed germination per cent, seedling shoot length, seedling root length, seedling vigour index, seed length, seed breadth, seed thickness, phytic acid content and yield. Germination per cent was positively correlated with seedling root length, shoot length and seedling vigour index as well as with phytic acid content in the seeds. This illustrates the necessity of phytic acid in seed health. Seedling vigour index was also found to be positively correlated with that of seedling shoot length and root length. While seed length and seed breadth were correlated with each other, seed breadth was correlated with phytic acid content in the seeds. Most importantly, it was found out in the experiment that the phytic acid content in the seeds had a highly significant and positive correlation with that of single plant yield. Thus, from this study, it can be inferred that the screening of low phytic acid maize inbreds without compromising the seed spherecity, germination and yield have to be undertaken in the future in order to produce maize hybrids with altered phytic acid content.