Evaluation of quality factors in Argentine maize races

Samples of Argentine maize from 12 landraces were analyzed for starch and amylose content and were evaluated for hardness parameters. Amylose contents of these Argentine landraces were generally higher than for typical dent hybrids grown in the United States. Hardness, as estimated by near-infrared reflectance; from wavelength shift of the near-infrared transmittance spectrum absorbance maximum (lambda(max)) in the 610-680 nm region; and by percentage of gamma-zein in zein-2 (determined by reversed-phase HPLC), correlated well with classical definitions of endosperm type and with amylose content. Starch content correlated negatively with hardness. Flint landraces varied substantially in amylose and starch content. The strong correlation between amylose content and maize endosperm hardness confirms and strengthens previous observations, and may provide a compositional basis for endosperm quality.