Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives

Increasing maize production in Trinidad & Tobago could reduce imports and lessen dependency on foreign markets for food and feed. A review of large maize development projects and a survey of maize farmers on small landholdings indicated that mechanized production of maize grain is technically an...

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Main Author: Spaner, Dean Michael.
Other Authors: Mather, D. E. (advisor)
Format: Others
Language:en
Published: McGill University 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40447
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spelling ndltd-LACETR-oai-collectionscanada.gc.ca-QMM.404472014-02-13T03:57:46ZMaize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectivesSpaner, Dean Michael.Corn -- Trinidad and Tobago.Corn -- Breeding -- Trinidad and Tobago.Increasing maize production in Trinidad & Tobago could reduce imports and lessen dependency on foreign markets for food and feed. A review of large maize development projects and a survey of maize farmers on small landholdings indicated that mechanized production of maize grain is technically and economically impractical. Maize is normally grown and harvested in the green immature stage by small-scale farmers as a fast, easy, and relatively profitable sideline vegetable crop. An imported hybrid and an improved local landrace (ICTA Farm Corn) yielded more green maize than a Mexican-bred locally-distributed variety, following early (June) rainy season plantings. Hybrid and local unimproved open-pollinated maize were grown with two levels of weed control and with two levels of fertilizer application following late (November) rainy season plantings. For commercial carnival season production of green maize on productive soils in Trinidad, the purchase of imported hybrid seed is economically justifiable, but high inputs into weed control and fertility management may not be needed. A consumer preference study of the main varietal types eaten as boiled ears indicated panelists could not discern differences when seasoned with Creole seasoning, but preferred yellow, large-eared varieties when not seasoned. In a series of 11 variety trials on Inceptisolic and Ultasolic soils in Trinidad, imported hybrids and ICTA Farm Corn consistently yielded greater than 9 other varieties. Grid mass selection for ear weight and ear size was carried out in ICTA Farm Corn. Green maize ear length (1.9% cycle$ sp{-1}$), width (1.5% cycle$ sp {-1}$), and ear weight (2.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$) increased linearly with selection, leading to increases in green marketable (4.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$), green total (3.0% cycle$ sp{-1}$), and grain yield ha$ sp{-1}$ (4.3% cycle$ sp{-1}$). Phenotypic correlations indicated high levels of association between grain yield and both green marketable ear weight (r = 0.91McGill UniversityMather, D. E. (advisor)1996Electronic Thesis or Dissertationapplication/pdfenalephsysno: 001538761proquestno: NN19775Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Plant Science.) http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40447
collection NDLTD
language en
format Others
sources NDLTD
topic Corn -- Trinidad and Tobago.
Corn -- Breeding -- Trinidad and Tobago.
spellingShingle Corn -- Trinidad and Tobago.
Corn -- Breeding -- Trinidad and Tobago.
Spaner, Dean Michael.
Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
description Increasing maize production in Trinidad & Tobago could reduce imports and lessen dependency on foreign markets for food and feed. A review of large maize development projects and a survey of maize farmers on small landholdings indicated that mechanized production of maize grain is technically and economically impractical. Maize is normally grown and harvested in the green immature stage by small-scale farmers as a fast, easy, and relatively profitable sideline vegetable crop. An imported hybrid and an improved local landrace (ICTA Farm Corn) yielded more green maize than a Mexican-bred locally-distributed variety, following early (June) rainy season plantings. Hybrid and local unimproved open-pollinated maize were grown with two levels of weed control and with two levels of fertilizer application following late (November) rainy season plantings. For commercial carnival season production of green maize on productive soils in Trinidad, the purchase of imported hybrid seed is economically justifiable, but high inputs into weed control and fertility management may not be needed. A consumer preference study of the main varietal types eaten as boiled ears indicated panelists could not discern differences when seasoned with Creole seasoning, but preferred yellow, large-eared varieties when not seasoned. In a series of 11 variety trials on Inceptisolic and Ultasolic soils in Trinidad, imported hybrids and ICTA Farm Corn consistently yielded greater than 9 other varieties. Grid mass selection for ear weight and ear size was carried out in ICTA Farm Corn. Green maize ear length (1.9% cycle$ sp{-1}$), width (1.5% cycle$ sp {-1}$), and ear weight (2.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$) increased linearly with selection, leading to increases in green marketable (4.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$), green total (3.0% cycle$ sp{-1}$), and grain yield ha$ sp{-1}$ (4.3% cycle$ sp{-1}$). Phenotypic correlations indicated high levels of association between grain yield and both green marketable ear weight (r = 0.91
author2 Mather, D. E. (advisor)
author_facet Mather, D. E. (advisor)
Spaner, Dean Michael.
author Spaner, Dean Michael.
author_sort Spaner, Dean Michael.
title Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
title_short Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
title_full Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
title_fullStr Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
title_full_unstemmed Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Trinidad & Tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
title_sort maize (zea mays l.) production in trinidad & tobago : development, agronomic, and breeding perspectives
publisher McGill University
publishDate 1996
url http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40447
work_keys_str_mv AT spanerdeanmichael maizezeamayslproductionintrinidadtobagodevelopmentagronomicandbreedingperspectives
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