Phenotypic profiling of specialty corn through DUS descriptors for morphological distinctiveness

Abstract

 The present study aimed to perform phenotypic
profiling of specialty corn genotypes for morphological
distinctiveness using DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and
Stability) descriptors and to evaluate their yield
performance. A total of 30 specialty corn genotypes
comprising Popcorn and Sweet corn were evaluated under
field conditions using a Randomized Block Design (RBD)
with three replications. Morphological characterization was
carried out using standard DUS descriptors, and
quantitative traits including grain yield were recorded and
subjected to statistical analysis to assess variability among
genotypes. The analysis revealed considerable variation
among the genotypes for several morphological traits,
indicating clear phenotypic diversity. Grain yield in
Popcorn genotypes ranged from 15.20 to 25.25 q ha–¹,
with genotype BAUPP-23/24-9006 recording the highest
yield of 25.00 q ha–¹. In Sweet corn, yield ranged from
8.26 to 10.73 q ha–¹, and genotype BAUSC-23/24-10102
produced the maximum yield of 10.73 q ha–¹. The wide
range observed in yield and morphological traits confirms
the presence of significant variability among the evaluated
genotypes