THE SELECTION OF THE INITIAL MATERIAL FOR VARIOUS DIRECTIONS OF MAIZE BREEDING ON THE BASIS OF MULTI-CRITERIA ESTIMATION

Abstract

The purpose of the study is the application of the method of multi-criteria estimation to select the initial material of various direction of maize breeding. The studies were performed in the year of 2017–2018 in two different regions of trials, in the arid area of the ARC “Donskoy” (Zernograd) and in the moisture area of the All-Russian Research Institute of Maize (Pyatigorsk). 10 parental forms of maize hybrids ‘Alpha M’, ‘Almaz M’, ‘Avrora S’, ‘Milena M’, ‘Istok S’, ‘Mirt M’, ‘Malvina S’, Raduga S’, Maya M’, ‘Prestizh M’ used as testers in breeding programs were taken as initial material. The studied forms were characterized by a diversity in the value of their main economically valuable traits. Significant variability was identified in infertility of plants (V = 56.0%), smut infection (V = 46.4%) and fragility of a stem below a cob (V = 43.4%). Average variability was identified in grain productivity (V = 14.8–18.2%), drought resistance index (V = 10.5%), harvesting moisture of grain (V = 18.6%). The use of the complex of main economically valuable traits for the integrated assessment (SD), taking into account the specified contributions (Rk) and weight coefficients (Wi), made it possible to rank the initial material according to its value for various areas of selection. There have been identified the testers ‘Mirt M’, Maya M, ‘Istok S’ with the best integral values (SD = 2.63–5.65) for breeding on drought tolerance. ‘Istok S’, ‘Milena M’, ‘Avrora S’ (SD = 2.14–4.07) have been recommended as the testers in breeding programs to breed the varieties with low harvesting moisture of grain. There has been identified a universal tester ‘Istok S’ which is suitable for various directions of maize breeding. Thus, the multi-criteria estimation can be used in the breeding process to select initial material that meets the requirements of the planned breeding directions.