Maize Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 149-166 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 150 started late, and the high-quality varieties available for planting are limited. Introducing new varieties of fresh corn suitable for local cultivation is expected to improve the situation of single varieties and general quality, and meet the growing market demand for high-quality fresh corn (Li et al., 2022a). On the one hand, through variety introduction trials, the biological performance and yield potential of foreign bred varieties under coastal ecological conditions can be evaluated. On the other hand, the selected excellent varieties will provide new variety support for local agricultural structural adjustment and characteristic industrial development, help to create regional fresh corn brands and increase the added value of agricultural products. At the same time, the introduction trial can also provide a basis for the optimization of fresh corn cultivation technology and green pest control (Zhang et al., 2022; 2023). Therefore, the introduction of new varieties of fresh corn in Linhai City and the comprehensive trait evaluation research have important production practical significance and promotion value. This study takes several new varieties of fresh corn introduced in Linhai City as the object, systematically evaluates their biological characteristics and agronomic traits, observes the emergence, growth dynamics and survival of each variety, analyzes their stress resistance and disease and pest resistance; determines the growth period and flowering characteristics; investigates the main agronomic traits such as plant height, ear position, plant type and ear morphological indicators (ear length, ear thickness, number of rows, etc.) and yield performance; determines quality traits such as the glutinous nature (branch starch content) and soluble sugar content of the grain, and conducts sensory tasting and market acceptance surveys; compares the adaptability differences of each variety under different environmental conditions in Linhai, calculates the regional recommendation index or comprehensive score; finally, combined with typical cases, analyzes the demonstration planting performance of excellent varieties, their adaptability on special soils (saline-alkali land), and the feedback from farmers participating in the trial planting. This study hopes to provide scientific basis and practical guidance for the variety renewal and efficient cultivation of fresh corn in Linhai City and even the coastal areas of Zhejiang Province. 2 Biological Performance 2.1 Germination, growth, and survival performance The new varieties of fresh corn introduced in Linhai City showed good sowing emergence rate and seedling growth potential. The results of the field test showed that the seedlings of all varieties were basically uniform 4 to 5 days after sowing, and the seedlings emerged neatly and robustly, without obvious missing seedlings and broken ridges. The survival rate of the seedlings was generally above 95%. This is closely related to the seed vitality of the variety itself and the appropriate sowing period. The seeds of some super sweet corn (carrying the sh2 mutant gene) often have low seed vitality and difficulty in germination under low temperature conditions due to high sugar content and low starch in the endosperm (Revilla et al., 2021). However, the sweet corn varieties introduced this time were sown in time after the soil temperature rose in spring, and the seeds were coated to improve the germination rate and seedling resistance. It is reported that there are differences in the low-temperature germination ability of different types of sweet corn. The sh2 type sweet corn germinates the fastest under warmer conditions, but germination and seedling growth are most easily hindered in cold soil. Therefore, the local introduction experiment avoided the overcooling environment and ensured the normal emergence of super sweet corn. Field observations also found that the seedlings of each new variety had thick stems, well-developed root systems, and vigorous growth. A study on the introduction of fruit-type super sweet corn in Guangdong also pointed out that the 20 varieties tested were all early-maturing dwarf types, with high uniformity of seedlings and strong growth in the early stage (Wang et al., 2021). In this study, each variety entered a rapid growth period after the three-leaf stage, with rapid growth in plant height and dark green leaves, reflecting strong biological vitality and adaptability. The new varieties of fresh corn showed good emergence and seedling growth characteristics in coastal areas, and the high survival rate laid the foundation for subsequent normal growth and high yield. 2.2 Resistance to stress and pests Fresh corn often faces challenges of high temperature and drought, soil salinity, and pests and diseases during its growth. The new varieties introduced in this study performed well in field stress resistance overall. Most varieties showed strong resistance to lodging and heat resistance. Plants can still bloom and bear fruit normally under high
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