Determination of pedigree by laboratory means can provide an initial and rapid check of hybrid identity in studies designed to compare genotypes . In order to test the accuracy of such determinations, isozymic and chromatographic data were used in an attempt to ascribe pedigrees to 25 hybrids that were identified only by a letter code from a list of 30 inbred lines . The pedigrees of 9 single-cross hybrids were correctly deduced as was the direction in which each cross was made . The pedigrees of 2 hybrids could only be determined ambiguously, however these hybrids were reciprocals and the biochemical data were unable to distinguish between 2 related candidate inbred lines . Pedigrees of 3 hybrids were either incompletely determined or could not be determined from the list of 30 candidate inbred lines and were thus correctly identified as non-Pioneer's' brand hybrids . Pedigrees of 9 3-way hybrids could be determined accurately but the pedigrees of 2 non-Pioneer® brand hybrids could not be deduced completely . The ability to correctly ascribe pedigrees of hybrids shows that these data provide a rapid means of determining whether additional field and laboratory tests would be warranted in tests designed to compare genotypic similarity of hybrids .