Vegetos

Abstract

Present investigation was designed for the identification of promising maize hybrids with high yield and quality. Heterosis and combining ability analysis were determined for grain yield, and quality parameters in 10 maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines and their 45 hybrids designed through the half-diallel crossing pattern. All the entries were grown in randomized block design with three replications during kharif 2013 along with three checks. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed significant mean sum of squares due to general combining ability (gca) and specific combining ability (sca) for all the traits. The ratio of ?2gca/?2sca was lesser than one for all the traits, thereby indicating the preponderance of non-additive gene effects in the expression of these traits. The inbred parents viz; HKI-193 (P10), LM 13 (P6) and CM 129 (P5) were good general combining ability (gca) for grain yield, while parent CM 124 (P7) was a good combiner for starch content, parent POP 445 (P2), LM 13 (P6) and HKI -193-2 (P10) for protein, and parents early yellow (P1), CMl-359 (P4) and HKI-193-2 (P10) expressed good general combining ability for oil content. The hybrid CM- 124×LM-13 (P7×P6) showed highest significant specific combining ability (sca) effect for grain yield (41.23**), along with high economic heterosis (36.73%) above best check K-25, accompanying with high per se (132.42 g/plant). The hybrid CML 41×CM- 124 (P9×P7) showed highest significant sca effects (11.15 **), economic heterosis (22.12%) and per se performance (75.93%) for starch content along with good per se performance for grain yield (91.48 g). For protein content, the hybrid HKI-193-2×CM- 124 (P10×P7) depicted highest positive significant sca effect (2.53**) along with good economic heterosis (17.82%) and per se performance for protein content (10.38%) with grain yield per se (59.85 g). Highest sca effect for oil content was showed by hybrid CML 41×POP 445 (P9×P2) exhibited highest positive significant sca effect for oil content (0.89**), with good economic heterosis (28.40%) and per se performance (5.78%) accompanying with good grain yield per se (109.47 g). The information can improve the yield and quality of maize.