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Although numerous and sometime superb cytogenetical studies
have been performed with maize, as far as I know not very many
strains have been demonstratively indicated as imparting excellent
spreading qualities to pachitene smears from pollen mother cells,
which are the most extensively and the most rewarding material
employed by cytogeneticists in the analysis of maize chromosomes.
Even in the most distinguished maize cytogeneticists papers one finds
that the same picture is repeatedly used in successive publications;
this may be due to the fact that people do not like waste time or
other, but it is more probable that the scarcity of really good pachinema cells showing all ten maize chromosomes is the chief reason.
Although the genetic basis for good spreading qualities is suspected to be polygenic, we actually do not know how many factors
are involved, even if there is a tendency to consider introgression by
teosinte negative in regard to the desired spreading qualities, because
the teosinte varieties often present the pachitene chromosomes very
sticky and all entangled together. But possibly this is not always
the case

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