Agronomic Characteristics of Turkish Maize Landraces Having the Level of Different Opacity

Maize (Zea mays L.), a warm season cereal with high adaptability, can grow under various climatic conditions and has been cultivated in Türkiye for many years to meet diverse needs. While opacity is closely linked to protein quality in maize, studies evaluating agronomic performance in Turkish landraces with varying opacity levels are limited. This study utilized six local maize populations with opaque endosperm types and three standard genotypes, with field trials conducted in 2021 and 2022 using a randomized block design with three replications. During the first year, agronomic traits of the genotypes were examined, and harvested seed samples were categorized into five opacity levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) using a light table. In the second year, these samples were subjected to field trials, and agronomic measurements were repeated. Two-year averages revealed significant variations among genotypes in plant height (165.33–224.92 cm), first ear height (75.03–127.95 cm), ear length (15.69–19.56 cm), ear diameter (34.11–44.99 mm), number of rows per ear (10.43–21.33), number of grains per row (20.75–40.72), ear weight (88.76–258.37 g), and ear grain weight (64.12–204.91 g). Variance analysis showed significant effects of opacity level, genotype, and their interaction on the traits examined. An increase in opacity level was associated with decreases in plant height, first ear height, and ear weight. Compared to standard genotypes, populations POP2 and POP6 demonstrated promising agronomic traits at high opacity levels, indicating potential for breeding genotypes with high-quality protein. It has been evaluated that these populations can be used as source material in the development of genotypes with high quality protein.