CP-Vero 1, white maize (Zea mays) synthetic variety resistant to head smut (Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae) for Mexican highlands

Abstract

In maize production, farmers face the alternative of planting commercial hybrid maize seed, or an open pollinated variety including an improved variety or a native local variety. Hybrid maize seed is costly, new seed has to be planted each season and seed of the desired hybrid is difficult to find, while seed of an improved open pollinated variety can be planted for several years, at par in grain yield with a hybrid, it is of low cost, and can be shared between farmers. The advantage of an open pollinated synthetic variety over a normal improved open pollinated variety is a higher grain yield, more uniformity in flowering time and phenotype. This work presents activities resulting in obtaining the open pollinated synthetic variety with white endosperm CP-Vero 1 following an S1 recurrent selection program for good agronomic characters and resistance to head smut.