Genetic factors influencing grain yield and nutritional qualities in early-maturing provitamin A-enrich quality protein maize
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21704/pja.v9i1.2142Keywords:
correlations, grain yield, nutritional traits, provitamin A maize, quality protein maizeAbstract
Provitamin A quality protein maize (PVA-QPM) is crucial for preventing vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition, widespread public health challenges a public health issue affecting millions, especially children and pregnant women in developing countries. Knowledge of the relationships between maize grain yield, carotenoid levels and quality protein, with their underlying genetic factors, is necessary for developing successful selection strategies for better maize cultivars. The study evaluated the genetic associations and factors optimizing grain yield, carotenoid profiles, and protein quality among newly developed early-maturing, high-performing PVA-QPM inbred lines. Two growing of testing were conducted on ten early PVA-QPM inbreds and two commercial maize hybrid controls under rainfed conditions at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin. All nutritional traits and grain yield differed significantly in the PVA-QPM inbreds and commercial hybrids. The PVA-QPM inbreds exhibited higher carotenoid levels than the commercial hybrids, with increases of 4 % for β-carotene and 7 % for β-cryptoxanthin. Despite a 12.9 % lower grain yield (5.73 t.ha⁻¹) compared to the hybrids (6.59 t.ha⁻¹), the nutritional benefits of the inbreds outweigh the yield reduction. There were strong positive genetic correlations between grain yield and most nutritional traits except for a negative genetic correlation between zein and crude protein, lysine and tryptophan, and lysine and tryptophan. Negative associations were also observed phenotypically between grain yield and lutein, as well as between yield and the lysine-to-tryptophan ratio. Path coefficient analysis indicated that grain yield and nutritional traits are directly interrelated through genetic relationships. The genetic linkages between yield and nutritional quality observed in PVA-QPM are considerable in informing breeding strategies for enhancing nutrient contents toward ameliorating chronic malnutrition and global food insecurity in maize-dependent regions.
Downloads
References
Amegbor, I. K., Van Biljon, A., Shargie, N., Tarekegne, A., & Labuschagne, M. T. (2022). Heritability and associations among grain yield and quality traits in quality protein maize (QPM) and non–QPM hybrids. Plants, 11(6), 713. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060713
Association of Official Analytical Chemists [AOAC] (2006). Official methods of analysis (18th ed.). AOAC International, Arlington, VA.
Aykroyd, W. R., & Doughty, J. (1964). Legumes in human nutrition. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, p. 150. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.02.0089
Badu-Apraku, B., Fakorede, M. A. B., Akinwale, R. O., & Akaogu, I. C. (2021). Developing high–yielding Striga-resistant maize in sub–Saharan Africa. CABI Reviews, 16(030), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1079/PAVSNNR202116030
Bello, O. B., Mahamood, J., Afolabi, M. S., Azeez, M. A., Ige, S. A., & Abdulmaliq, S. Y. (2013). Evaluation of biochemical and yield attributes of quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) in Nigeria. Tropical Agriculture, 90(4), 160–176.
Bello, O. B. (2017). Diallelic analysis of maize streak virus resistance in quality protein maize topcrosses. Euphytica, 213, 270–279. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10681-017-2064-4
Bello, O. B., Mahamood, J., Suleiman, Y. A., & Ige, S. A. (2019). Genetic control of stress– tolerant extra–early quality protein maize inbreds for resistance to northern corn leaf blight disease in the tropics. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 38, 151–163.
Bello, O. B., Ige, S. A., & Afolabi, M. S. (2024). Genic resistance mechanisms of Turcicum leaf blight in early provitamin A quality protein maize. Peruvian Journal of Agronomy, 8(2), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.21704/pja.v8i2.2172
Călugăr, R. E., Muntean, E., Varga, A., Vana, C. D., Haș, V. V., Trițean, N., & Ceclan, L. A. (2022). Improving the carotenoid content in maize by using isonuclear lines. Plants, 11(13), 1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131632
Climate-Data.org. (2024). Ilorin climate (Nigeria). Retrieved from https://en.climate-data.org/africa/nigeria/kwara/ilorin-538/
Climate.top. (2024). Rainfall in Ilorin, Nigeria: Average precipitation and wet days. Retrieved from https://www.climate.top/nigeria/ilorin/precipitation/
Dewey, D. R., & Lu, K. H. (1959). A correlation and path–coefficient analysis of components of crested wheatgrass seed production. Agronomy Journal, 51(9), 515– 518. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1959.00021962005100090002x
Drochioiu, G. S., Străjeru, M., Petrovan, N., & Druță, I. (2002). A rapid method used at the Suceava gene bank to evaluate protein quality of some cereal grains. Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter, 129, 47–61.
Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] (2021). Maize in human nutrition. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at https://www.fao.org/4/t0395e/T0395E03.htm
Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] (2024). Strengthening maize breeding systems for food and nutrition security in sub– Saharan Africa. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Global Nutrition Report. (2023). 2023 Global Nutrition Report: Nutrition accountability Framew ork progress. https://globalnutritionreport.org
Healthline. (2024). Lutein and zeaxanthin: Benefits, dosage and food sources. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lutein-and-zeaxanthin
Hernández, H. H., & Bates, L. S. (1969). A modified method for rapid tryptophan analysis of maize. CIMMYT Research Bulletin, 13. Mexico, DF, Mexico: CIMMYT.
Howe, J. A., & Tanumihardjo, S. A. (2006). Carotenoid–biofortified maize maintains adequate vitamin A status in Mongolian gerbils. Journal of Nutrition, 136, 2562–2567. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.10.2562
Ige, S. A., Bello, O. B., Charity, A., & Stephen, A. (2020). Estimation of genetic variation, heritability and genetic advance for yield and agronomic traits correlation of some low nitrogen tolerance maize (Zea mays L.) varieties in the tropics. Research on Crops, 21(3), 595–603.
Ige, S. A., Bello, O. B., Mahamood, J., Afolabi, M., Abolusoro, S. A., Aremu, C., & Abosede, A. V. (2023). Genetics of testcrossed streak virus resistance carotene quality protein maize. Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, 11(3), 155–167.
Joshi, S., Sharma, R., Sharma, S., Gupta, A., & Singh, B. (2022). Quality protein maize: Nutritional and bioactive composition, technological attributes and potential food applications. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57(9), 5600–5610. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.15602
Laserna, M. P., Cerrudo, A., González, R., Belo, A., Cirilo, A., Andrade, F. H., Martínez, D., & Izquierdo, N. (2025). Post–flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize. Journal of Cereal Science, 123, 104152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.10415
Natesan, S., Duraisamy, T., Pukalenthy, B., Chandran, S., Nallathambi, J., Adhimoolam, K., Manickam, D., Sampathrajan, V., Muniyandi, S. J., Meitei, L. J., Thirunavukkarasu, N., Kalipatty N., G., & Rajasekaran, R. (2020). Enhancing β–carotene concentration in parental lines of CO6 maize hybrid through marker–assisted backcross breeding (MABB). Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, 134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.00134
SAS Institute. (2021). SAS System for Windows (Release 9.10). Cary, NC, USA: SAS Institute Inc.
Sentayehu, A. (2008). Protein, tryptophan, and lysine contents in quality protein maize. North Indian Ethiopian Journal of Health Science, 18(2), 9–15.
Sethi, M., Saini, D. K., Devi, V., Kaur, C., Singh, M. P., Singh, J., Pruthi, G., Kaur, A., Singh, A., & Chaudhary, D. P. (2023). Unravelling the genetic framework associated with grain quality and yield–related traits in maize (Zea mays L.). Frontiers in Genetics, 14, 1248697. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1248697
Singh, R. K., & Chaudhary, B. D. (2021). Biometrical methods in quantitative genetic analysis (Revised ed.). New Delhi: Kalyani Publishers.
Sun, T., Yuan, H., Cao, H., Yazdani, M., Tadmor, Y., & Li, L. (2018). Carotenoid metabolism in plants: The role of plastids. Molecular Plant, 11(1), 58–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2017.09.010
Tandzi, L. N., Mutengwa, C. S., Ngonkeu, E. L., & Gracen, V. (2017). Breeding for quality protein maize (QPM) varieties: A review. Agronomy, 7(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy7040080
Teklewold, A., Wegary, D., Tadesse, A., Tadesse, B., Bantte, K., Friesen, D., & Prasanna, B. M. (2015). Quality protein maize (QPM): A guide to the technology and its promotion in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: CIMMYT.
Tripathi, H., Yadav, R. K., Singh, L., Singh, H. C., & Pandey, P. (2023). Correlation and path coefficient analyses for grain yield and its contributing traits in quality protein maize (Zea mays L.). Biological Forum, 15(10), 47–54.
Tutiempo Network. (2024). Climate Ilorin (Year 2022)–Climate data (651010). Retrieved from https://en.tutiempo.net/climate/2022/ws-651010.html
US Institute of Medicine. (2001). Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. Washington, DC, USA: The National Academies Press.
Yahaya, M. S., Bello, I., & Unguwanrimi, A. Y. (2021). Correlation and path–coefficient analysis for grain yield and agronomic traits of maize (Zea mays L.). Scientific World Journal, 16(1), 10–15.
Zhang, P., Gu, S., Wang, Y., Xu, C., Zhao, Y., Liu, X., Wang, P., & Huang, S. (2023). The relationships between maize (Zea mays L.) lodging resistance and yield formation depend on dry matter allocation to ear and stem. The Crop Journal, 11(1), 258–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2022.04.02
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Tajudeen Afimoh OLAJIDE, Bashir Omolaran BELLO
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
