Maize and its Breeding

• Botanical Name: Zea mays L.

• Family: Poaceae
• Chromosome No.: 2n = 20
• Center of Origin: Central America (Mexico)
•Distribution: USA, China, Russia, Canada and many south Asian
countries
• Progenitors: Zea tunicata , Z. teosinte
• Mode of pollination : Cross pollination
• Out crossing percentage: 95%

•India is the sixth largest producer of maize in the world contributing 2%

of the global production.

•In India maize is the third most important crop after rice and wheat
and accounts for 9% of the total food grain production in country.

•The important maize growing states are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,

Bihar, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
“The last two decades saw the revolution in rice and wheat, the next few
decades will be maize era” – Dr N. E. Borlaug
 Zea mays, 2n =20
 Leaves Morphology of Maize
• Leaves are broad and a single leaf.
• Leaves are arranged in two vertical rows on the opposite sides of an axis.
(distichous)
• Long, large, alternate, parallel veins

Root Morphology of Maize

• Fibrous root
• Brace root
~ form at the bottom of the stalk.
~ support the plant and scavenge top levels of soil for moisture and nutrients.
• Seminal root
~ nodal roots originate from scutellar node.
~ sustain seedling development by virtue water intake.
Reproductive Morphology of Maize
• Male & female inflorescence located at different part.
• Male inflorescence called tassel.
• Female inflorescence called ear.
• Maize pollen dispersion by wind.
• Annual plant.
The ear is the female reproductive part of a corn plant.
• Ears develop from "shanks," which are stalk like structures that grow from the plant's leaf
nodes.
• A corn plant may produce many ears, but the uppermost ear will grow to be the largest.
• The ear consists of a cob, eggs that eventually develop into kernels and silks.
• Pollination occurs when pollen from the male tassel falls on the female silks.