Specialty corn hybrids - new strategy and perspective of maize in climate change

Abstract

Specialty corns attract particular attention on account of steady increase in demand and production over the recent years in India as well as their utility in adjusting to drought conditions. To address major limitation of low productivity, initiatives were made towards developing single cross hybrids in baby corn, sweet corn and pop corn. Respective quality parameters relating to tender ear characteristics (baby corn) biochemical components relating to sweetness (sweet corn) as well as popping parameters (pop corn) were considered. Diverse maize genotypes were identified for baby corn purpose and new experimental hybrids in baby corn were developed. In respect of sweet corn, elite hybrids superior to the checks (Madhuri and Priya) in terms of productivity and quality were identified. Elite hybrids in pop corn were identified meeting the requirement of quality and productivity in comparison to respective checks. This initiative is expected to give much needed impetus at realizing the potentiality of specialty corns in general and for adapting to adverse effects of climate change in particular. Further, by using elite hybrids of all specialty corns (including QPM) as well normal field corns together, a multiple range of options and products can be contemplated with potential benefits to farmers. Such strategy and plan for using diverse maize types for ensuring continuous and wide range of harvesting duration is indicated.