Effects of S1 Recurrent Selection for Provitamin A Carotenoid Content for Three Open-Pollinated Maize Cultivars

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars with increased concentrations of provitamin A (proVA) carotenoids can improve the health of millions of consumers who are vitamin A deficient and rely on maize as a staple food. Three open-pollinated maize cultivars (OPC) were subjected to three cycles of S1 recurrent selection for increased proVA concentration. Agronomic performance of Cycles 0, 1, 2, and 3 for each OPC was evaluated using three replications at 10 locations, and changes in proVA concentration were assessed for hand-pollinated grain produced at two sites. Selection resulted in significant (P