Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding
Availability of variable amount of provitamin A carotenoids
in maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm makes it a potential
crop that can be exploited in biofortification programs.
However, characterization of germplasm for identification
of high provitamin A might help maize breeder to integrate
high provitamin A lines with other important parameters
mainly yield.The present study was, therefore, undertaken
to determine total carotenoids (TC) and beta-carotene (βC)
in high yielding 32 inbred lines of maize and also to
develop simple selection criteria based on relationship
of βC with TC and kernel colour. The 32 inbred lines
exhibited βC of minimum of 0 µg/g (white kernel lines) to
4.814 µg/g (Pant13k 2121) dry weight with mean value of
2.58 µg/g whereas TC was found to vary from minimum
3.34 µg/g to maximum of 27.44 µg/g dry weight with mean
value of 19.28 µg/g. TC and βC was relatively higher for
orange shades as compared to different yellow shades.
Kernel color established positive correlation with TC as
well as βC with very low coefficient of determination
(0.108). This indicates that visual selection based on kernel
color may not be effective improving carotenoids in maize.
However, association of TC and βC was significantly
positive with high coefficient of determination.Further,
molecular characterization is done by LcyE and CrtRB1
markers.
Keywords: Maize, LcyE, CrtRB1 beta carotene, total carotenoids
Year: 2014
Volume: 74
Issue: Supplementry Issue
Article DOI: 10.5958/0975-6906.2014.00902.X
Print ISSN: 0019-5200
Online ISSN: 0975-6906
Rashmi, Mahak Tufchi info_circle
Mrinal Shastry and N. K. Singh info_circle
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