Polyploidy in maize breeding for grain quality

Abstract

Polyploidy is one of the most promising synthetic breeding methods. It provides genome buffering, increases allelic diversity and heterozygosity and allows the generation of new phenotypic variations. The aim of this paper is to present the results of experiments on tetraploid maize, following the phenotypic manifestation and expression of specific endosperm genes and their biochemical effects. The experiments started in 2009 at the State Agrarian University of Moldova and continues today at the Department of Agronomy and Environment, Faculty of Agronomy. In the initial stages, two special maize hybrids (Chisiniovschi 307 PL and Chisiniovschi 401 L) approved in the Republic of Moldova, with opaque2 (o2) gene that increases the lysine content in the grain protein, were used as biological material.