Effect of agronomic traits in the selection expansion volume in popcorn hybrids

The popcorn is a culture profitable for producers of various technological profiles, mainly due to the higher added value of popcorn in comparison with common maize. With the use of phenotypic correlation in breeding programs, the efficiency in selecting certain favorable character can increase or decrease their expression. The objective was to evaluate agronomic traits of hybrids popcorn in the southwest region of Mato Grosso, Brazil, as well as to estimate the phenotypic correlation. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 15 treatments and 3 replications. The following characters were evaluated: plant height and ear, expansion capacity, number of piruas, weight of grains and production components. The IAC9614.83 stood with the largest grain weight of 2.49 t ha-1, followed by the hybrids IAC367, IAC144.6102, AP6005, BASSO5802, BASSO5803. The expansion capacity showed a negative correlation with number of piruas          -0.69. The grain weight showed a positive correlation with the number of rows of grains of 0.71. It is concluded that IAC 144.6102, AP8203, VYP212 were adequate for the test by presenting favorable aspects for the commercialization of grain.