Agronomic potential of outstanding populations of the Raton race assessed under dry conditions in southern Tamaulipas

Abstract

The challenge to increasing production without expanding the agricultural frontier involves, among other things, meeting the necessary and/or desirable characteristics of crops through the vision of
farmers. The phenotypic characterization and identification of outstanding populations is a preliminary phase, but a determining one to
initiate participatory plant breeding. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to characterize and determine the yield potential,
its components, in outstanding populations of native maize of the Raton race. In an agricultural field of a cooperating producer in the municipality of Ocampo, Tamaulipas under rainfed conditions, 10 native populations and two more populations of cooperating farmers were agronomically evaluated in a randomized complete block design and
three replications. The results indicated the existence of significant variation (p ≤ 0.05) between the populations in the honological characteristics, size of the cob and grain; characteristics associated with yield. Five populations exceeded 2,500 kg ha-1 of grain as well the controls; this positive response was related to the adaptation to the soil
and climate conditions of the region. Based on X + 1 S for grain yield (kg ha-1), two of the populations were outstanding with a mean value
of 3,015.2 kg ha-1. The phenotypic and yield diversity of Raton maize has the potential to constitute the genetic base of improved materials
in the plant breeding schemes and, therefore, to be an alternative for the sustainable use of agricultural diversity.