Agro-nutritional variations of quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) in Nigeria

Abstract

Quality protein maize (QPM) combining the enhanced levels of lysine and tryptophan with high grain yield and desirable agronomic traits could reduce food insecurity and malnutrition in West and Central Africa. Twenty-two varieties of QPM and two local checks were evaluated for agronomic characteristics and nutritional qualities in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria for two years (2009 and 2010). Though crude protein levels are good indicators of quality, amino acid composition analyses, especially lysine and tryptophan that would provide a final proof are in progress. The genotypes comprised five open pollinated varieties (OPVs), nine inbred lines, eight hybrids and two local varieties. Differences among the varieties were significant (P<0.01) for grain yield, days to tasselling as well as plant and ear heights, while year x variety interaction was only significant (P<0.05) for days to tasselling. Most of the QPM inbred lines (CML 437, CML 490 CML 178) and hybrids (Dada-ba, ART98-SW5-OB, ART98-SW4-OB and TZPB-OB) have superior performance for grain yield, other yield attributes and nutritional qualities compared with the OPVs and local checks. These inbreds could be potential sources of favorable alleles useful for future maize breeding, while the hybrids could be evaluated in different environments of Nigeria for comparative advantages in different environments and quality of the grains to be released to farmers.

Morphological Characterization of Advanced Backcross Population for Yield and Yield Attributing Character in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

“…Genetic parameters such as genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) are useful in detecting the amount of variability present in the germplasm. Heritability is a good index of the transmission of character from one generation to consecutive generation (Falconer et al, 1981;Bello et al, 2012). Genetic advance is the measure of genetic gain under selection.…”

Effect of extrusion on protein quality, antinutritional factors, and digestibility of complementary diet from quality protein maize and soybean protein concentrate

“…This leads to poor net protein utilization and low biological value (BV) of traditional maize varieties. However, quality protein maize has been reported to have enhanced levels of lysine and tryptophan in the endosperm protein (Bello et al, ). It has brought about great hope in the effort to improve human nutrition (Akande & Lamidi, ; Olakojo, Omueti, Ajomale, & Ogunbodede, ).…”

Varietal performance and correlation of okra pod yield and yield components

“…Information on the genetic variability of crop is essential for the identification and breeding of unique accessions vital for curators of gene banks for germplasm conservation [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Diversity of crops and morpho-agronomical characters are the first step highly recommended to be taken before in-depth molecular and biochemical studies [15].…”