Utilizar regiones heteróticas mantenidas por letales balanceados en el genoma del maíz se hace realidad

in order to increase the efficiency of hybrid seed production in maize, it is necessary to achieve a high grain yield to reduce production costs. this goal requires an expansion of the basic knowledge of the inheritance of traits to develop new breeding techniques. the balanced lethal systems allow the study of the relative contribution of different chromosomal segments to hybrid vigour due to the heterozigosity of certain chromosomal sectors while the rest of the genome becomes homozygous through continuous selfing. in this way, these segments can be transferred to inbred lines in order to increase grain yield or pollen production through the increase of tassel size. in the last fifteen years, the transference of heterotic segments that belong to three lines regulated by different balanced lethal systems (bls) to s5 flint lines derived from two commercial hybrids, (aca 2000 and cóndor with closed pedigree) was carried out, with the aim of increasing grain yield or tassel size. the statistical analysis showed a significant increase in grain yield and tassel size in the s5 flint lines of both commercial hybrids, carrying three different heterotic segments of the bls lines.