Analysis on Heterotic Groups and Heterotic Patterns of High Oil Corn Inbred Lines

The primary objective of this study was to estimate heterotic groups and heterotic pattern of a set of 20 newly elite high oil corn inbred lines from four high oil corn populations named BHO(Beijing High oil), ALEXHO(Alexander High Oil), RYDHO(Reid Yellow Dent High Oil) and SYN DO( Synthetic Diseased Oil). Five normal corn inbred lines Dan340, Mo17, 7922, 8701, K12 were adopted as testers, which were the typical representatives of five main heterotic groups named Luda Red Cob, Lancaster, Reid, Exotic germplasm and Tangsipingtou in China. 100 crosses from NCⅡ design were grown in a randomized complete-block design experiment with three replications at three locations in 2002. The combining ability of 20 high oil corn inbred lines derived from four high oil corn populations was analyzed based on the data from the experiment. Cluster analysis was done based on SCA (Special combining ability) data. The results showed that the 20 lines could be classified into two heterotic groups. Inbred lines from RYD and SYN DO could be taken as one group, whose heterotic performance was similar to that of Reid, inbred lines from BHO and ALEXHO as another, whose heterotic performance was similar to that of Lancaster. The heterotic patterns among normal corn and high oil maize population were also analyzed. ALEXHO×Exotic germplasm, ALEXHO×Reid, ALEXHO×Luda Red Cob, BHO×Exotic germplasm, and BHO×Reid were valuable heterotic patterns in high oil corn breeding.