TY - PRO AU - Serratos,J.A. AU - Arnason,J.T. AU - Blanco Labra,A. AU - Mihm,J.A. AU - Mihm,J.A. ED - Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico DF (Mexico) TI - Genetics of maize grain resistance to maize weevil SN - 968-6923-79-9 U1 - 633.153 PY - 1997/// CY - Mexico, DF (Mexico) PB - CIMMYT KW - Crossbreeding KW - Curculionidae KW - Infestation KW - Pest resistance KW - AGROVOC KW - Sitophilus zeamais KW - Zea mays KW - Genetics KW - CIMMYT N2 - The genetics of maize grain resistance to the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motsch., infestation was analyzed by means of additive linear models which considered genetic contributions of maize caryopsis through embryo, endosperm and pericarp. Specific traits associated with these grain tissues were: phenolic acids (pericarp, embryo), proteinase inhibitors (endosperm, embryo) and hardness of grain (pericarp, endosperm, embryo). The susceptibility of the grains to weevil infestation was measured by feeding, consumption and reproductive activities of insect populations. Inbred lines of quality protein maize (QPM), contrasting in resistance to maize weevil infestation, were used for the genetic analysis of resistance. Concentrations of phenolic acids in grain have a highly negative and significant correlation with indices of susceptibility of maize to the maize weevil. However, the correlation between susceptibility of grain and contents of proteinase inhibitors in the endosperm is low, although negative and significant. Resistance of pericarp-testa to compression forces was the only rheological trait of grain inversely correlated with susceptibility of maize to colonization by maize weevils, but neither the correlation coefficient nor the significance was high. The negative relationship of biochemical and biophysical traits of maize grain with feeding and reproductive activities of insects on the grain, suggests detrimental effects of these grain characteristics on the colonization success of insect populations. The estimated genetic parameters for additivity of endosperm and dominance of pericarp associated with the expression of phenolic acid concentration in the grain were highly significant and inversely correlated to estimated susceptibility parameters of genetic action. Estimated parameters of genetic action for proteinase inhibitor concentration in endosperm were non significant, likewise estimated parameters for rheological traits of maize grains had very low significance ER -