Estimating the Breeding Potential of Purple Sweet Corn Lines with Topcross Mating Design

Abstract

The estimation of breeding potential of early generation lines is a prerequisite in corn breeding. Breeders could use a methodology called topcross for this purpose. The present study aimed (i) to investigate the breeding potential of purple sweet corn lines with topcross design, and (ii) to determine correlation between fresh ear yield and yield traits in topcross hybrids (TH). Hundred and eighteen S2 generation purple sweet corn lines were crossed with the tester, the Ant-224-E-1 yellow sweet corn inbred lines in isolated cross block (ICB), in Antalya in 2020. Hundred and twenty-one hybrids (118 topcross hybrids and 3 commercial hybrid controls) were obtained and analyzed with an 11 × 11 triple lattice design in 2021. It was determined that the number of days to anthesis (DtoA), plant height (PH), ear height (EA), general plant appearance (PA) and fresh ear yield (FEY) were statistically significant at P