ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC VARIATION IN TURKISH LOCAL MAIZE GENOTYPES USING MULTIVARIATE DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

Abstract

The objective of study was to assess genetic variations among tassel and ear traits of Turkish local maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes. Seventy-nine maize germplasms consisting of three races (flint, pop and dent) from northern part of Turkey were evaluated for 16 traits (6-ear and 10-tassel) by using multivariate analysis. ANOVA revealed significant differences in ear and tassel traits. The highest positive correlations were observed between ear length and number of kernels per ear (r = 0.75, p < 0.01); between tassel length and number of kernels per ear (r = 0.75, p < 0.01). The highest negative correlations were observed between mean node distance and tassel diameter (r = -0.30, p < 0.01). Six ear traits revealed that number of ears and ear diameter multivariate correlations covered 91.6% and ear diameter, alone, 47.6% of total variation among accessions. Eight tassel traits were revealed that tassel length and tassel diameter multivariate correlation covered 88.8% and tassel diameter alone 85.1% of total variation. Totally, sixteen ear and tassel traits revealed that tassel diameter and number of flowers per main branch multivariate correlation covered 94.8% and number of flowers per main branch alone 86.8% of total variation. The races are separated into the groups, densely. Although tassel traits displayed low eigenvalue accounting for 56.8% of total variance between races, ear traits displayed very high eigenvalue accounting for 94.6% of total variance. Combined ear and tassel traits had higher eigenvalue accounting for 74.6% of total variance. Results indicated that the first and the second principal component were belonging to ear and tassel traits for Turkish maize races, respectively. The broad trait variation in maize germplasm implies large opportunities for genetic improvement of northern Turkish maize accessions.