Genetic diversity and productive potential of starchy corn varieties evaluated in Peruvian highland environments

Corn cultivation is relevant to the province of Tayacaja, a region with the greatest biodiversity in the Huancavelica State, although to date there are no published studies. Phenotypic characterization pursues measuring the genetic diversity of a group of genotypes, using appropriate morphological descriptors. The main objective of this work was to study the agro-morphological characteristics and productive potential of 25 starchy corn varieties, evaluated in four contrasting environments of the province of Tayacaja, Perú, during the crop cycle 2019–2020. For this purpose, 25 plant and ear characteristics were chosen, using principal components (PC) and cluster analysis. The experiments were established in an alpha-lattice design, with three replications, in experimental units of two rows, with 0.20 m between plants and 0.80 m between furrows, 4 m long. The agro-morphological characterization grouped the 25 varieties within 6 well-defined clusters, giving an overview of the existing phenotypic variability among the evaluated starchy corn varieties. The varieties G₆, G₁₄, G₂₀, G_T3, and G₁₈ were the genotypes with the most outstanding characteristics, which facilitated their separation from the rest of the materials studied. The multivariate analysis brought together representative varieties of certain races, with typical plant and ear characteristics. The study revealed the existence of a good productive and agronomic potential for the development of genetic materials for cancha (toasted kernel grains), choclo (fresh corn), and mote corn production; as well as the presence of anthocyanin in the grain, information that, together with the agro-morphological characterization, could be very useful to enhance gains in the selection process in future genetic improvement work.