PJB-2019-227
Morphological and molecular markers based screening of maize hybrids against northern corn leaf blight
Sadaf Naeem, Muhammad Tahir, Kiramat Khan, Amjad Hassan and Rafiq Ahmad
Abstract
Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) is a fungal disease and it is a stumbling block in maize production. Moreover, conventional field evaluation of a large number of maize hybrids for NCLB is expensive as well as time consuming. This study was done to evaluate initially the 36 maize hybrids in field condition for NCLB resistant and agronomic parameters were measured. Twelve best maize hybrids resistant to NCLB were screened at molecular level by using specific primers of Ht1, Ht2, and Ht3 and HtN genes. Finally, we compared molecular data with morphological data to pinpoint the maize hybrids with enhanced resistance against NCLB. The results showed that germination of 36 hybrids including three check hybrids (commercial ones) were not statistically different except pwx-131-6. Hybrid FRW2 x PSE.3-157-5-4-2 showed maximum yield 11.474 tons per hectare followed by check hybrid CH-III (30 k08) with 11.018 tons per hectare among all finally 12 selected hybrids. Disease ranking showed that both above high yielding hybrids were resistant to NCBL. In addition, both hybrids showed the presence of all resistant genes Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and HtN that could be involved in resistance to NCLB. Among the commercial hybrids, CH-II(BABAR) was moderately resistant to NCLB having disease ranking 2 and all the resistant genes Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and HtN were absent in this commercial hybrid. Globally, 4 maize hybrids i.e. PSEV.3-15-5-4-2 × PK9, FRW2 x PSEV.3-120-2-3-2, PSEV.3-157-5-4-3 x (FRW3x FRW6)sp out of 12 maize hybrids were moderately resistant while all others were resistant according to disease ranking but variation in resistant genes were observed in all maize hybrids. The morphological and molecular based screening use in this study can be used in other plants that are sensitive to NCLB particularly using Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and HtN genes
To Cite this article:
Naeem, S., M. Tahir, K. Khan, A. Hassan and R. Ahmad. 2021. Morphological and molecular markers based screening of maize hybrids against northern corn leaf blight. Pak. J. Bot., 53(1): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2021-1(5)
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