Published March 18, 2023 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Characterization of Selected Maize Varieties for All-Year-Round Sweet Corn Production in Malawi

Creators

  • 1. School of Management, Northern Canada University, PO box 1178, Toronto M3A 2K7, Canada Department of Horticulture, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, PO box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 2. The University of Zambia, Geography and Environmental Studies Department
  • 3. Department of Horticulture, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, PO box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya

Description

In Malawi, production and consumption of sweet corn have been on the increase. An estimated 11-16% of the
country’s annual maize production is consumed as sweet corn. In this study, we evaluated characteristics of eight
maize varieties suitable for all year round sweet corn production based on sweetness, disease susceptibility, and
yield. The attributes assessed included; days to horticultural maturity, total yield, sugar content and susceptibility
to maize stalk borers, maize streak virus and grey leaf spot. Six of the maize varieties assessed were early to
medium maturing hybrid varieties (DKC 8033, DKC 8053, MH 18, SEEDCO 403, PAN 53 and PAN 4M-19)
with a local variety (Bantam) as a negative control and STAR 7714 as a positive control. The results showed that
DKC 8053 and PAN 4M-19 were both high yielding varieties with a mean yield of 14.93 tha¯¹ while STAR 7714
was the lowest yielder at 11 tha¯¹. However, STAR 7714 (12 % brix) was the sweetest variety followed by DKC
8033 (11 %), DKC 8053 (10%) and MH 18 (9%) respectively. Even though STAR 7714 and PAN 4M-19 were
highly susceptible to grey leaf spot, all the varieties showed tolerance and resistance to maize streak virus and
maize stalk borer. From the overall characteristics of the maize varieties selected, DKC 8033, DKC 8053 and
MH 18 had a better mix of attributes for all-year-round sweet corn production in Malawi.
Keywords: Certified seed, grey leaf spot, sugar content, yield, Zea mays

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