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Inheritance of Husk Leaves in Maize¹

Leaves that extend from the modified leaf sheaths or husks enclosing the ear of maize (Zea mays L.) are referred to as husk leaves. Husk leaves may add significantly to the photosynthetic area of the husk and compensate for leaf area lost during mechanical detasseling of hybrid seed corn production fields. The inbred parents, F₁'s and F₂'s from an eight-parent diallel, were examined to determine the breeding behavior of husk leaves in Corn Belt dent maize. Four inbreds with high husk leaf area and four with no husk leaves were used in the diallel Husk leaf area was measured with a leaf area meter and visual ratings for husk leaf area were given to individual plants.

Differences in mean husk leaf area of F₁'s and F₂'s between two locations suggested that environmental effects, especially plant population, may be important. Midparent heterosis for husk leaf area averged 254% at St. Paul and 169% at Rosemount, Minn., for the high x high F₁'s; but few of the high x low and none of the low x low F₁'s displayed significant heterosis which suggested that epistasis may have been involved. Husk leaf expression of inbreds per se and general combining ability effects both satisfactorily predicted the husk leaf area of the hybrids. Broad-sense heritability value of husk leaf area on an individual F₂ plant basis averaged 49% at St. Paul and 69% at Rosemount. Relative frequency distributions of visual husk leaf ratings on F₂ plants indicated that alleles favoring low husk leaf area appeared to be at least partially dominant to alleles favoring high husk leaf area and that several loci controlled the trait. Husk leaf area of the materials we studied should be regarded as a quantitative trait that could be modified by standard maize breeding procedures.

Key Words: Dent corn • Heritability • Zea mays L. • Heterosis • Leaf area

² Former graduate research assistant (present address: Agronomy Dep., North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND 58105) and professor of plant breeding.

Received for publication September 29, 1980.