Adapting maize breeding to organic agriculture

Summary in the original language of the document

This thesis takes the experiences learnt after including organic trials in the maize Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) Test in Germany and apply them to conventional breeding programs, which try to meet the needs of the organic sector, in order to adapt their breeding outlines for selection of organic maize varieties. In the present study, data sets from grain and silage maize VCU Test, including conventional bred varieties tested in parallel under both conventional and organic conditions, were analysed to obtain quantitative genetic parameters, correlations, stability performances and similarities in cluster analysis for 3 traits for grain maize: grain fresh matter (GFM), grain yield, grain dry matter content (GDCn1); and 3 traits in silage maize: total fresh matter (TFM), silage yield, total dry matter content (TDCn2).