Assessing the sensitivity of maize genotypes to gamma radiation for germination and physiological characteristics.

To meet the rising demand for cereal-based food products, it is essential to create parent lines for hybrid development. Evaluating the sensitivity of maize genotypes to gamma rays is critical for successful mass irradiation to induce mutations. This study aimed to assess how maize genotypes respond to gamma radiation and determine an effective dosage for mutation breeding.

Induction of genetic variability of maize genotypes through radiation revealed mutants resistant to maize streak disease.

The absence of genetic variability among crop genotypes is an impediment to breeding progress, hence mutagenesis could serve as a useful tool to create genetic variation to obtain desirable traits of interest. In this study, four maize genotypes, Obatampa, Dapango, Pann 54 and Honampa which were susceptible to maize streak disease (MSD) were acutely irradiated at 254.3 Gy, using a cobalt 60 (Co) at a rate of 300 Gy/hr.

Identifying Quality Protein Maize Inbred Lines for Improved Nutritional Value of Maize in Southern Africa.

Malnutrition, as a result of deficiency in essential nutrients in cereal food products and consumption of a poorly balanced diet, is a major challenge facing millions of people in developing countries. However, developing maize inbred lines that are high yielding with enhanced nutritional traits for hybrid development remains a challenge. This study evaluated 40 inbred lines: 26 quality protein maize (QPM) lines, nine non-QPM lines, and five checks (three QPM lines and two non-QPM lines) in four optimum environments in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Heritability and Associations among Grain Yield and Quality Traits in Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and Non-QPM Hybrids.

Maize ( L.) is the main staple cereal food crop cultivated in southern Africa. Interactions between grain yield and biochemical traits can be useful to plant breeders in making informed decisions on the traits to be considered in breeding programs for high grain yield and enhanced quality.

Genetic analysis and yield assessment of maize hybrids under low and optimal nitrogen environments.

Development of maize hybrids that possess tolerant genes to low soil nitrogen is critical for long-term maize production in areas with low soil fertility. In this study, estimates for combining ability effects for grain yield and secondary traits of selected inbred lines, identify potential parents for hybrid development and yield potential of the crosses under sub-optimal and optimal N environments. One hundred hybrids were evaluated under sub-optimal and optimal N environments for two years.

Trait profile of maize varieties preferred by farmers and value chain actors in northern Ghana.

Unlabelled: Plant breeders' knowledge of precise traits preferred by variety users would accelerate varietal turnover and widen adoption of newly developed maize varieties in Ghana. The objective of this research was to provide empirical evidence of trait preferences of farmers and other actors in the maize value chain in northern Ghana, based on which research strategies for maize improvement could be formulated. Participatory rural appraisal was conducted in 2016 to determine key traits preferred by maize value chain actors across the three regions in northern Ghana.