SHOOT-CDITING IS NOT NECESSARY FOR CONTROLPOLLINAnON IN MAIZE

Abstract

Maize is a cross-pollinated crop. Control-pollination is carried out to produce seed for crop improvement and related researches. Self-pollination is carried out to develop inbred lines; sib-pollination to maintain inbred lines and populations and increase their seed on a amall scale; cross- pollination to develop hybrids and outbred families; etc. An alternative is to produce seed in isolation plots but that is very costly and is made use of in a limited number of cases when seed requirement is large, or a tester is to be crossed as a pollinatior with a number' of other materials or in methods like modified ear-to-row and and modified Sl selections. Thus, control-pollination is very important in maize research.