PJB-2023-548
Grain yield and agronomic performance of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids obtained from improved maize populations
Monsif Ur Rehman
Abstract
Population maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids are genetic reservoirs of great potential for food security. Combining ability is a powerful tool to discriminate good and poor combiners, indicates a measure of gene action and accumulate fixable genes from parents. Based on a diallel without reciprocals, the GCA of 10 parental populations and SCA of their hybrids were calculated. Improved maize populations and 45 population hybrids were evaluated in experiments arranged in randomized complete block design with three replicates in 2015 and 2016 maize season at research field of the University of Agriculture Peshawar (UAP) and Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) Nowshera. The combined analysis of variance across locations and years revealed that genotypes and genotypes × environments interactions were significant for grain yield and other traits thus confirming the existence of genetic diversity. GCA and SCA variances were highly significant for the studied traits at both locations indicating the importance of both additive and non- additive gene actions in controlling these traits. However, the ratio of GCA/SCA variance revealed the preponderance of no-additive gene action in the expression of these characters. Four populations, Pop-8003, Pop-1325, Jalal and SHN 107 showed high positive GCA effects for grain yield at both locations. Pop-8003 manifested positive SCA effects for grain yield with most of the populations, implying this parent combine well with other parental populations. Hybrid, Pop-8003 × Pop-2011 exhibited highest positive SCA effects and per se performance for grain yield (8567 kg/ha) followed by Pop-8003 × Super-08, Pop-1325 × pop-2011 and Pahari × SHN 107. Data across environments showed 38% hybrids produced more yield than the high yielding parent Jalal (7046.9 kg/ha). Positive SCA values were recorded in 60% hybrids at CCRI and 62% hybrids at UAP location. Our data also showed that top population hybrids were statistically dissimilar to parental populations.
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