Combining ability of corn inbreds – carriers of mutations Su1 and Su2 on the content of oleic acid glycerides

Aim. Evaluation of donors’ properties of corn inbreds - carriers of endospermic mutations su1 and su2 on the oleates content. Methods. A series of hybrids obtained in top- crosses of 10 inbreds of the common type with four testers – low-oleic and high-oleic inbreds of the common type and inbreds – carriers of the su1 and su2 mutations were analyzed. Oleates’s content was determined by the gas chromatographic method. Results. The highest effects of the general combining ability were shown by the inbreds obtained from high-oil synthetics and the inbreds - carriers the su1 and su2 mutations. Hybrids of low-oleic inbreds with the sources of su1 and su2 mutations had an increased content of oleates in comparison with maternal forms, and hybrids of high-oleic inbreds with the sources of these mutations inherited the oleates content in an intermediate type. In F2 hybrids from crosses of inbreds of the common type with the inbreds - carriers of the su1 and su2 mutations, transgressions were observed. Conclusions. The increased content of oleates in corn inbreds inbreds and hybrids is most likely controlled by oleate - coding loci of chromosome 4 and 6 linked to mutant genes su1 and su2. The carriers of these genes can be used as sources of increased oleate content in the corn breeding for oil quality. Key words: Zea mays L., endospermic mutants, oleates content, top-crosses