RESUMO. Em milho, variações de desempenho agronômico são comuns em ambientes distintos, havendo resposta ainda mais diferenciada em híbridos simples. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de novos híbridos simples de milho-pipoca, desenvolvidos pelo Programa de Melhoramento da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, no noroeste do Paraná. Para isso, avaliaram-se as características agronômicas de rendimento de grãos, capacidade de expansão, altura de planta, altura de espiga, resistência à ferrugem polissora (Puccinia polysora), à helmintosporiose (Exserohilum turcicum) e à mancha branca (Phaeosphaeria maydis/Pantoea ananas). O experimento foi conduzido em blocos completos, com tratamentos ao acaso com três repetições, em Maringá-PR, na safra 2006/2007. Os tratamentos foram 27 híbridos de linhagens S 5 e as cultivares BRS Angela, IAC 112 e Jade. Constataram-se diferenças significativas (p ≤ 0,05) entre os híbridos para todas as características avaliadas. O híbrido proveniente da combinação das linhagens C e K expressou os melhores índices de rendimento de grãos e capacidade de expansão e foi susceptível à ferrugem polissora. Os híbridos provenientes das linhagens L, H e K destacaram-se com relação à resistência à ferrugem polissora, enquanto os híbridos da linhagem G foram mais resistentes à helmintosporiose, e os das linhagens M e G, à mancha branca.Palavras-chave: Zea mays L., rendimento de grãos, capacidade de expansão, doenças foliares.ABSTRACT. Agronomic performance of new popcorn hybrids in Northwestern Paraná state, Brazil. In maize, variations on agronomic performance in distinct environments are common and more evident for one-way hybrids. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of new one-way popcorn hybrids developed by the Breeding Program of the State University of Maringá, in northwestern Paraná. The characteristics evaluated were: grain yield, popping expansion, plant height, ear height and the intensity of Southern rust (Puccinia polysora), Northern leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), and phaeosphaeria leaf spot (Phaeosphaeria maydis/Pantoea ananas). The assay was carried out into randomized block design with three replications in Maringá, state of Paraná, Brazil, during the 2006/2007 cropping season. The treatments were 27 simple popcorn hybrids obtained from S 5 endogamic inbreds and commercial cultivars BRS Angela, IAC 112 and Jade. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were verified among hybrids for all characteristics. The hybrid from C and K inbreds presented better indexes for grain yield and popping expansion; and was susceptible to Southern rust. About diseases, the hybrids from the L, H and K inbreds showed greater resistance levels to Southern rust, and hybrids from G inbred had better Northern leaf blight resistance. Hybrids from L and M inbreds showed better phaeosphaeria leaf spot resistance.

This study aimed to estimate the combining ability and inbreeding depression of corn hybrids for agronomic traits and forage quality. Nine corn hybrids, 36 F1 combinations from a diallel, 9 S1 populations and two checks were evaluated in two experiments in a randomized complete block design with three replications, in the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 growing seasons. The parents Impacto, CD304 and DKB390 are recommended to form a composite to be subjected to a recurrent selection program aiming to improve forage production. Crosses between Impacto and parents DKB390, P30P34 and P30B39 are promising to increase forage quality by reducing the fiber content and also by increasing the protein content, being recommended for extracting inbred lines and interpopulation improvement. High inbreeding depression for grain yield was detected, indicating that non-additive effects contributed to the inheritance of the trait.

ABSTRACT. Corn grits are used for various purposes such as flakes, snacks, livestock feed, hominy, extruded products, beer, etc. The grit size proportion varies according to the hybrid, and thus, once the use of the grits is linked to the particle size, determining the genetic effects is essential to develop hybrids for any specific use. For this purpose a complete diallel series of crosses, involving eight parents, was performed near Maringá, PR, Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities of 28 progeny for selection of hybrids for breeding programs and extraction of inbred lines for hybrid development. The response variables, such as plant height, ear insertion height, crop stand, grain yield, and grits, small grits and bran production, were gauged and appraised for each of the 28 progeny. The trait effects and GCA were significant for all response variables, while for SCA, only grain yield and crop stand showed significance (P < 0.05), according to Griffing (1955) analysis. A significant weak negative 6549 ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 13 (3): 6548-6556 (2014) Diallel analysis of corn gritting ability partial correlation was found between grain yield and grits conversion. In relation to the hybrid selection for breeding programs, the parent IAC Nelore was highly recommended for recurrent selection and the hybrids IPR 119 x HT 392 and IAC Nelore x HD 332 for the extraction of pure lines for hybrid development.

-

ABSTRACT. Six popcorn varieties were crossed in a diallel mating scheme to obtain 15 F 1 hybrids, with the purpose of analyzing the estimates of heterotic parametrization for agronomically important traits. The genitors and hybrids were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications in Viçosa and Visconde do Rio Branco, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in three growing seasons. Six traits were evaluated, including grain yield and popping expansion. There were highly significant effects for treatments, varieties and mean heterosis for plant and ear heights, and for the others traits the significance extended to all sources of variation. Amarela and Viçosa revealed superiority for grain yield in relation to performance per se, while Rosa Claro expressed the highest effect of varietal heterosis. The best combinations for grain yield were Roxa x Viçosa, Amarela x Rosa Claro, Rosa Claro x Beija-Flor and Branca x Beija-Flor. For popping expansion, there were positive and negative values for specific heterosis in all growing seasons evaluated, ratifying the influence of bidirectional dominance on this trait. Simultaneous genetic gains for grain yield and popping expansion may be obtained by using Viçosa in intrapopulational programs, while Amarela and Rosa Claro are recommended for using in interpopulational breeding.