The significant increase in maize production in the second season crop in Brazil, mainly in central-south of the country have stimulated breeding programs to select genotypes adapted to the climatic conditions of different sowing times. The objective of this study was to quantify the progenies x sowing times interaction and check its reflexes on the genetic progress with the use of multivariate selection for selection progenies of the maize Composite Isanão VF-1. Sowings were done in the second growing season, in 2004 and in first growing season of the 2004/05 crop year. A total of 71 half-sib progenies were evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications. The traits evaluated were: plant height, ear height, lodged and broken plants, prolificacy and grain yield. There was decomposition of progenies x sowing times interaction and gains from selection index Mulamba and Mock were estimated. There was a predominance of the simple interaction for most traits, except prolificacy, which revealed 86% of complex type interaction. For the index Mulamba and Mock, proportional gains most appropriate for the traits set was obtained by the economic weights assigned by attempts. The predicted gains were 1.41, 0.86, -13.03, 9.54 and 16.12% for plant height, ear height, lodged and broken plants, prolificacy and grain yield, respectively.
Zea mays L.; genetics parameters; genotype x environment interaction; selection index; genetic gain
