COMPARING MODERN VARIETIES OF WHITE MAIZE WITH LANDRACES IN BANGLADESH: PHENOTYPIC TRAITS AND PLANT CHARACTERS
Md. Jafar Ullah*, M.M. Islam, Kaniz Fatima, M.S. Mahmud, S. Akhter, Jamilur Rahman
and Md. Quamruzzaman
*Corresponding author: jafarullahsau@gmail.com
Abstract
An experiment carried out to
evaluate the performance of local maize variety compared to the modern variety.
Treatment comprised three modern varieties i.e. Plough-201, Plough-202 and Suvra;
and five local landraces i.e. Red,
Purple, White, Yellow and Black. Local landraces
were sown two times, 5 March 2015 (early) and 10 March 2015 (Late). Results
revealed that the modern varieties produced tassel and silk 11. 33 and
20.50 days earlier, respectively along with 28.17 days earlier harvesting days
compared to the local ones. The local landraces
were bit longer plants (5.02 cm) than the modern varieties. The local landraces had three more leaves per
plant (17) compared to that of the modern ones. The stem base of the modern
varieties was 20% thicker (9.11 cm stem base circumference) compared to the
local landraces. The modern
varieties produced cobs at the 7th nodes whereas those of the local
varieties almost at the top of the plants (12th nodes). Delayed
sowing time of the local landraces
resulted in the delayed tasseling and harvesting days by 11 and 23 days,
respectively. The variety yellow grained had the longest tasseling days (69
days) whereas the white grained variety the shortest (62 days). The white
grained variety had the longest silking days (87.50 days) while the red and
black grained the shortest (78.50 days). The yellow grained variety sown in
delay had the longest tasseling days (78 days) while red, black and purple sown
early had the lowest tasseling days (58 days). The purple grained variety at
both the sowing dates and; yellow and white at the late sowing dates produced
silk in delay (87-88 days) while others in 71-81 days. The longest variety was
the yellow grained showing 213 cm whereas the white grained variety was the shortest
(170 cm). The variety white grained had 1.45 to almost three more leaves (17.40
per plant) than others. The thickest stem base circumference was obtained in
the black grained one (8.40 cm) and the lowest in the red grained one (6.50
cm). The information derived from this study may be a good source of new
allelic diversity that could at least be used for developing different
important elite maize materials especially the ones to be produced for fodder
purposes.
