Heterosis and combining ability for yield and its contributing traits in yellow maize

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Eight parents (5 lines and 3 testers) and their fifteen F1 hybrids were evaluated by analyzing their ability to genetic behavior (combining abilities and heterosis) for yield and its contributing traits of maize. The results of analysis of variance indicated considerable genetic variation among the parental lines and testers as well as their hybrids, highlighting the importance of both additive and non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of yield and its components traits under study. The ratio of σ2GCA/σ2SCA was less than unity for all traits, indicating the predominant role of non-additive gene effects (dominance and epistasis) in the inheritance of all studied traits. The results showed that the majority of parental lines and testers by general combining ability effects and most hybrids by specific combining ability and heterosis effects had favorable significance for all studied traits. Based on mean performance and GCA effects, the testers; T1 and T2 and lines; L2 and L3 were the best general combiners for grain yield/plant and most evaluated traits. Desirable and significant SCA effects and heterosis estimates were observed by most crosses for all studied traits. The crosses: L3×T3 for earliness and L2×T1, L3×T2, L4×T2 and L4×T3 for yield and most studied traits showed the best mean performance and desirable estimates of SCA effects and heterosis. In order to improve the earliness and grain yield traits, the crosses mentioned above can generally be used in maize hybrid breeding programs in Egypt.

Keywords

{"sdg_fld":["2"]}

Main Subjects