The Relationship of Heterosis and Genetic Divergence in Maize

Moll, R.H. and Lonnquist, J.H. and Velez Fortuno, J. and Johnson, E.C. (1965) The Relationship of Heterosis and Genetic Divergence in Maize. Genetics, 52 (1). pp. 139-144.

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Abstract

HETEROSIS in maize appears to increase with increased genetic divergence of the parent populations over a rather wide range of diversity (MOLL, SAL- HUANA and ROBINSON 1962). It does not necessarily follow, however, that this relationship will hold throughout the entire ran.ge of diversity in the species. It is widely accepted that cumulative differences between isolated populations may eventually become great enough to cause genic unbalance in population hybrids, which may be manifest by poor F, viability. This is considered to be one of the possible steps toward speciation; and inferiority of interspecific hybrids is not uncommon. In the case of an organism which shows heterosis in crosses between divergent populations, it seems logical to expect that in crosses of extremely di- vergent populations, the expression of heterosis may be limited by unharmonious gene combinations in the F, hybrid. At higher levels of genetic divergence, then, an increase in divergence might be associated with a decrease in heterotic expres- sion. The issue in this report is whether or not heterosis in maize continues to in- crease at higher levels of diversity.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	SNNigam Collection
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Heterosis, Genetic Divergence, Maize
Author Affiliation:	Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Subjects:	Crop Improvement > Genetics/Genomics
Divisions:	Maize
Depositing User:	Mr Arbind Seth
Date Deposited:	03 Apr 2013 08:35
Last Modified:	03 Apr 2013 08:35
Official URL:	http://www.genetics.org/content/52/1/139.long
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/10184

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