Genotype, Environment, and Interaction Effects on Seed Quality Damage in Maize.

Mechanical damage, which reduces seed quality characteristics, refers to the physical injuries caused on seed during handling, harvesting, and conditioning. In maize (Zea mays L.) susceptibility to mechanical damage depends on genetic and environmental factors. The development of inbred lines with high seed quality and broad adaptability is essential in a breeding program. The objective of this study is to quantify the genotypic, environmental, and genotype-by-environment (GE) interaction effects on the mechanically damaged seed quality of experimental maize inbred lines. Nine lines were tested in six environments defined by the location-seed-shape combinations. Each sample was artificially injured (damage treatment). Seed quality was measured by both the saturated cold test and fast green test. Statistical analyses were performed using AMMI model and results were displayed in GE biplots. Variability due to GE interaction was smaller than or equal to the variability among genotypes. The variation between environments was not always the most important, explaining between 19% and 58% of the total variation. The biplot analysis of susceptibility to mechanical damage evaluated by the fast green test gave evidence that particular patterns can be mainly associated with seed shape, and the biplot of vigor evaluated by the saturated cold test had a tendency to group the environments with the localities. These types of associations suggest some predictability of genotype-by-environment interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]