Genetic parameters estimatives in CMS-42 and CMS-43 popcorn populations

The popcorn maize populations CMS-42 and CMS-43 were undergone to the secon d selection cycle among and within half-sib families. The objectives were t o increase the favorable allele frequencies and to estimate the genetics an d phenotypics parameters from some agronomic traits. It was used an 14 x 14 simple lattice field design with 196 treatments. The former selection cycl es were used as intercalar check. Plots consisted of one 5 m row with a pla nt density of 50,000 pl/ha. Although more importance was given to popping e xpansion, the mean values from the selected families showed the possibility to obtain high productivity with these populations. CMS-43 showed greater variability than CMS-42 as could be seen by the greater additive genetic va riance component in CMS-43 than in CMS-42. The mean values for popping capa city were 14.62%, 15.21% and 19.65% for the checks, families and selected p rogenies, respectively with the population CMS-42, and 16.07%, 16.85% and 2 2.31%, respectively, for CMS-43. For both populations, the narrow sense her itability for popping expansion was 60% and the estimated gain with selecti on among families was 16.80% for CMS-42 and 19.12% for CMS-43.