Resumo

MARQUEZ-SANCHEZ, Fidel. Inbreeding in maize reproduction by chain crosses. Agrociencia [online]. 2010, vol.44, n.2, pp. 183-186. ISSN 1405-3195.

The pollination of maize (Zea mays L.) by chain crosses, as any other method of artificial reproduction produces an increase of inbreeding in the population of the case after several generations. To know what its effect is, it is necessary to know the inbreeding of the method in the first generation and then extrapolate it to the next generations. In this research, it is concluded that the inbreeding is the same as that of families of half sibs, and that in a balance composite of 10 lines and 20 plants per line, after ten generations the inbreeding is about 4 %. The report also presents the advantages that the method offers to maize breeders.

Palavras-chave : Zea mays L.; inbreeding coefficient; chain crosses; inbreeding.