2024, Vol. 12, Issue 2, Part A

An experiment was conducted with the objectives to study the combining ability and heterosis for plant height, cob height, kernel related traits hundred grain weight and test weight in maize during December to September 2020-2021. The experimental material was 7×7 diallel mating population (excluding reciprocal) consisted of seven parents and their 21 F1’s The results of simple analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that the parents and hybrids had enough genetic diversity. Moreover, analysis of variance for combining ability also exhibited significant general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for all the characters studied. The parent P5 was identified as the best general combiner for kernel related traits especially for test weight couple with hundred kernel weight. Regarding the hybrid combinations, hybrids P4 x P6 (281), P2 x P7 (165), P4 x P7 (155), P3 x P6 (142) and P2 x P5 (133) exhibited the best results for number of kernel per cob. The crosses P3 x P7 (6.62g), P1 x P7 (5.11g), P1 x P4 (5.07g), P1 x P2 (4.71g), and P3 x P6 (5.21g) performed best in terms of hundred grain weight while crosses P1 x P4 (4.84g), P2 x P6 (4.51g), P3 x P4 (4.33g), P1 x P2 (3.97g), and P1 x P3 (3.37g), were found to be extremely out yielded for the most important attribute, test weight. Considering the phenomena heterosis, the hybrids P4 x P6, P2 x P6, P2 x P4, P1 x P4, and P1 x P2 revealed significant heterosis over mid parent for kernel related parameters, and the crosses P3 x P7 (66.87g), P2 x P3 (63.89g), P1 x P3 (59.80g), P3 x P4 (55.32g). Nonetheless, P3 x P6 (55.16g) were the best cross combination for hundred kernel weight and in terms of test weight, P1 x P4 (50.23g), P2 x P4 (45.77g), P3 x P4 (47.23g) and P1 x P2 (44.03g) were the most desirable based on mid parent heterosis. Accordingly, for better parent heterosis the crosses P1 x P2 (41.25g, 44.03g), P1 x P3 (47.33g, 40.02g), P1 x P4 (49.70g, 50.23g), P3 x P7 (41.39g, 30.17g) and P3 x P4 (39.86g, 47.40g expressed heterosis in desirable direction for hundred grain weight and test weight. Thus, parent P5 and the hybrids P3 x P4, P3 x P7, P1 x P3, P2 x P6, P3 x P6, P4 x P6, P1 x P2 may be selected as the best general and specific combiners respectively for maize variety development.