Abstract:
Objective The DUS test for establishing standard varieties of maize suitable for cultivation in ecological areas on a plateau of low latitude was examined to facilitate the resource utilization.
Method Applying 37 quantitative characteristics of 100 maize cultivars and under the specific requirements stipulated in the Guide, standard varieties were selected in accordance with the published “General Rules of Tests for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability”. The chosen maize varieties as candidates in the standard group were subjected to cluster analysis and overall evaluation by NTSYSpc 2.10 e prior to final designation.
Result The 29 maize varieties selected from the 100 cultivars by the DUS test used 37 quantitative characteristics that covered 159 expressive statuses, averaging 5.5 per variety and approximately 4.3 expressive statuses per specific characteristic. The clustering similarity coefficients on them ranged 0.7841—9098.
Conclusion There were 29 maize varieties selected by the DUS test as standards. They encompassed a wide range of agronomic traits and phenotype expressions with statistical meaningful representation of maize for breeding program in the regions.