Multi-trait selection helps breeders identify genotypes that appeal to divergent groups of preferences. In this study, we performed simultaneous selection of sweet-waxy corn hybrids on several traits covering the perspectives of consumers (taller kernel depth, better eating quality), growers (early maturity, shorter plant stature, and high ear yield), and seed producers (high flowering synchrony, acceptable seed yield, and good plant architecture). Three supersweet corn lines and 8 waxy corn lines were intercrossed to generate 48 F1 hybrids according to North Carolina Design II, and these genotypes were laid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications across 2 seasons between 2017 and 2018. A sensory blind test on sweetness, stickiness, tenderness, and overall liking was conducted to assess the eating quality of steamed corn samples. Two methods of simultaneous selection, namely unweighted selection index and overall rank-sum index (ORSI), were applied to rank crosses, following all targeted groups of preferences. Genetic parameters and genetic gain were estimated to evaluate the effectiveness of those selection methods. Both approaches had similar patterns of preferable realized gain on each given trait and could identify similar top five crosses with only slight order changes, implying that these methods were effective to rank genotypes according to given selection criteria. One of the tested crosses, 101L/TSC-10 × KV/mon, consistently had the highest unweighted selection index in the dry (7.84) and the rainy (7.15) seasons and the lowest ORSI (310), becoming a promising candidate as synergistic sweet-waxy corn hybrid appealing to consumers, growers, and seed producers. The expected ideotypes of sweet-waxy corn hybrid are discussed.

Vegetable corn with an excellent, balance proportion of kernel carbohydrates in relation to good eating quality appeals to consumers. Sweet-waxy corn hybrid is proposed to improve palatability of traditional cooked waxy corn, well known as synergistic corn. We determined genetic effects of sugars, phytoglycogen, total starch, and amylopectin and estimated general combining ability of parents for these traits. Three sweet corn lines assigned as female were crossed with eight waxy corn lines as male following the North Carolina II. About 11 parents, 24 F1 progenies, and 3 checks were evaluated in randomized complete block design with three replications in two seasons between 2017-2018. Then, entry means of 38 genotypes was clustered with dendogram. Additive effect was important for favored kernel carbohydrates except for phytoglycogen. Two sweet corn lines 101LBW and 101LTSC-10 were proposed as broad-based testers for total sugar and sugar fractions, whereas a waxy corn line KVMON for total starch and amylopectin. Cluster analysis based on amylopectin, total sugar, and phytoglycogen was reliable to discriminate corn genotypes into seven major groups, and two sweet-waxy corn F1 hybrids 101LTSC-10/C13-1 and 101LTSC-10/KV3473 corresponding to our selection criteria were identified. Implications in plant breeding and suggestions for further investigations are discussed.