Genetic Diversity and Construction of Salt-Tolerant Core Germplasm in Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) Based on Phenotypic Traits and SNP Markers.

ABSTRACT: Maize is an essential staple food, and its genetic diversity plays a central role in breeding programs aimed at developing climate-adapted cultivars. Constructing a representative core germplasm set is necessary for the efficient conservation and utilization of maize genetic resources. In this study, we analyzed 588 cultivated maize accessions using agronomic traits such as plant morphology and yield traits such as ear characteristics and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess molecular diversity and population structure and to construct a core collection. Nineteen phenotypic traits were evaluated, revealing high genetic diversity and significant correlations among most quantitative traits. The optimal sampling strategy was identified as "Mahalanobis distance + 20% + deviation sa

SUBMITTER: Song Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12298868 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature