Selección de maíz para silo mediante familias de medios hermanos de la Raza Blanco Dentado

Blanco Cangüé corn is an open-pollinated variety (OPV) selected by the Faculty of Agronomy and has developed through the selection of half-sib families (HSF). It has demonstrated superior performance in terms of dry matter and good nutritional characteristics for silage and grazing. The objective was to characterize the diversity within a population of white dent corn to select the best half-sib families (HSF). To achieve these objectives, statistical analyses were conducted: analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square test (Chi2), Tukey's multiple comparison test, Spearman's correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and estimates of heritability and genetic gain for both quantitative and qualitative variables. The results revealed significant differences in four assessed traits and the existence of correlations between some variables. The observed variability in certain traits suggests a diverse genetic base that would be favorable for future selection strategies. PCA revealed that three components explained 52% of the total variance, increasing to 83% with seven components. Heritability values for female flowering (FF) were moderate, and for corn ear perimeter (EP) and cob perimeter (CP), they were moderate to low. The HSF method has been effective for some traits, but mass selection could be a valuable alternative for populations with high genetic variability and low heritability. Finally, 15 HSF were selected with shorter FF and higher values for CP and EP, aiming to improve flowering synchronization under water stress conditions.