Genetic analysis of yield and its components traits in diallel cross of maize (Zea mays L.) under rainfed condition A.

Abstract

Maize is one of the oldest domesticated crops and the world’s third most important cereal crop, with a high yield potential. It is currently farmed in most parts of the world, across a wide variety of environmental conditions spanning 50 degrees north and south of the equator. In many regions of the world, it is widely utilized for food, feed, fuel, and fiber. Because of its crosspollinated nature, maize has a wide range of morphological variability and geographic adaptation. A diallel mating design excluding reciprocals was practised among 8 diverse parents to generate 28 crosses for assessing genetic parameters in maize during kharif 2021. Analysis of variance revealed significant variability in the parents for all the characters under study except cob length, cob girth, number of kernel row per cob and 100 grain weight. The ratio of σ2 gca and σ2 sca was found less than unity for most the characters, which revealed prime role of non-additive gene action for expression of the characters under study. Among the traits, grain yield was positively (P < 0.01) correlated with plant height, cob length, cob girth, kernel row per cob, hundred grain weight (test weight) and cob weight under rainfed conditions. High broad-sense heritability was observed for days to tasselling, days to silking, kernel per row, grain yield and, kernel row per cob indicating that additive or genetic factors influenced the expression of these traits and they are less influenced by environmental factors.