Combining ability analysis for yield and quality traits in medium maturing yellow seeded maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids using line x tester

Abstract

Thirty six hybrids of maize were developed through Line x Tester design using three male tester lines and twelve female inbred lines as parental material along with four standard checks Vivek-H-43, Pratap Hybrid Maize-3, Pratap Makka-9 and HM-11, to study combining ability in maize (Zea mays L.). The parents, hybrids and four standard checks were evaluated during kharif season 2016 for 15 characters in randomized block design with three replications. The mean squares due to genotypes, parents, crosses and parents v/s crosses were significant for all characters except for days to 50 per cent tasseling, days to 50 per cent silking, days to 75 per cent brown husk, number of leaves per plant, cob girth and number of grain rows per cob. The ratio of 2 sca / 2 gca was greater than over for all the traits except anthesis-silking interval, number of leaves per plant, harvest index, grain yield per plant and quality traits like oil content and starch content. This indicated that the preponderance of nonadditive gave effects in the expression of these traits. Among female inbred line L10 was found good general combiners for grain yield per plant and yield component traits like, cob girth, number of grain rows per cob, harvest index and quality traits like, oil content and starch content. whereas the testers T3 was good general combines for yield and majority of traits viz., grain yield per plant, harvest index, oil content, protein content and starch content. The general combing ability due to additive and additive x additive gene effects. Which are the fixable component of genetic variation. Twelve hybrids showed significant positive sca effects for grain yield per plant. The maximum significant positive sca effects for grain yield per plant was depicted by hybrid L12 x T3, followed by hybrids L1 x T2, L11 x T2, L7 x T1 and L4 x T2. This was cross between average x good gca effects parents for grain yield per plant. They produced significant and desirable SCA effects for most of the traits studied indicating potential for exploiting hybrid vigour in breeding programme.