The Effect of Selection for Prolificacy in Two Composite Populations of Maize

Abstract

The past excellent work done on maize in Kenya necessitated continued effort to be put into the development of this important food crop. The comprehensive breeding system, used to improve the main maize breeding populations in Kenya, has proved to be a powerful tool. The main objective of this study was to find out the effect of breeding for prolificacy in KCE and KCB, the two broad-based maize populations in the Kitale applied maize breeding programme. It was expected, as has been hypothesized by many maize breeders that the subsequently changed populations would not only be more prolific but, as a result, also bring about stability in grain yield in different growing environments.