Diallel Analysis of Eight Yellow Maize Inbred Lines for Earliness and Grain Yield

Abstract

Combining ability for grain yield and other traits were evaluated in a half diallel fashion in maize. Eight yellow maize inbred lines were crossed in half diallel fashion excluding the reciprocals during the summer season of 2018 at Gemmeiza station, the resulting 28F1 were evaluated along with check SC168 at two locations (Gemmeiza and Sids) in 2019 summer season. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications was used. Mean squares of GCA and SCA were highly significant for all the studied traits at combined data, except SCA for ear diameter. The non-additive gene effects were most responsible for controlling the inheritance of days to 50% silking, plant height, ear length and grain yield. While the additive gene effects had the important role in the inheritance of ear height and ear diameter. The parents; P6 and P7 were significant for general combiner for yield and p4 for earliness. The crosses P3 xP7, P5 x P8 and P6 x P7 had desirable SCA effects for earliness. Meanwhile, the crosses P2 xP8, P3 x P6, P4 x P5 and P5 x p7 showed high SCA effect for grain yield. The single crosses; P2 xP7, P2 x P8, P3 x P6, P5 x P7, P6 xP7 and P7 x P8 had desirable mean values for earliness and grain yield.