New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Effects of cultivar type on yield and quality of popcorn (Zea mays
everta)
Mehmet Ali Sakin
Sabri Gokmen
Ahmet Yildirim
Savas Belen
Nejdet Kandemir
Agricultural Faculty
Gaziosmanpasa University
Tasliciftlik Campus
60240 Tokat, Turkey
email: m_sakin@hotmail.com
Abstract Popcorn (Zea mays everta) has long been
a favourite snack food for consumers and its popularity has increased over
time. Quality as well as yield is important in popcorn. The popping volume
of popcorn is the most important quality trait. In this study, yield and some
quality characteristics of single-cross and three-way cross genotypes and
open-pollinated cultivars were compared. In this trial, 21 genotypes were
investigated during 1997 and 1998. Seven of them were single crosses, seven
were three-way crosses, and seven were open-pollinated cultivars. There were
significant differences among genotypes for yield, popping volume, and percentage
of unpopped kernels in both years. Cultivar types had similar yields in the
first year, when environmental conditions were optimum, whereas hybrid genotypes
had lower yield values in the second year because of unfavorable rainfall
and temperature. Popping volume was significantly higher in hybrid genotypes
than open-pollinated cultivars whereas the percentage of unpopped kernels
was c. 50% lower in hybrids. Therefore, well-adapted hybrid cultivars should
be grown instead of open-pollinated cultivars under optimum environmental
conditions.
Keywords popcorn; popping volume; single-cross; three-way
cross; Zea mays everta
H04014; Online publication date 8 March 2005 Received 2 February 2004;
accepted 5 October 2004
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2005, Vol. 33:
17–23
0014-0671/05/3301-0017 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
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