Maize landraces as a source of adaptation to climatic change

Abstract

Predictions of global warming point out that frequency and severity of temperature and rainfall extremes are expected to increase in the following decades. Yield stability could be achieved by improvement in future breeding based on information of cereal reproduction under changed environmental conditions. Landraces are valuable sources of beneficial alleles, e.g. tolerance to drought and improved grain yield, for introgression into adapted germplasm. Twenty-six drought tolerant maize landraces, selected among gene bank accessions and previously tested under controlled drought conditions and in temperate climate, were evaluated, at two sites and two plant densities in Zemun Polje. Since 2014 was with enormous rainfalls and flooding, morphological and agronomical traits were measured. Obtained data, together with the results from dry 2012, were plotted for principal component analysis. One local landrace and two introduced landraces, medium in maturity, were selected according to PC analysis and achieved grain yield that was stable across different climatic conditions.