Superiority and Combining Ability for Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The investigation was conducted to calculate the superiority % for of the F1's over commercial check hybrids, combining ability and genetic variability of eleven white maize inbred lines using a half-diallel design at Sids Agricultural Research Station in the 2022 growing season. The 55 crosses along with two commercial hybrids as checks; SC-10 and Hytech SC-2031 were evaluated in field trials at Sids, Sakha, and Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Stations using randomized complete block design with three replications in the growing season 2023. The results showed highly significant differences between three locations for all studied traits except GY and DTS traits. Mean squares for crosses and their interaction with locations were significant for all studied traits except for EHT. Also, variances of GCA and SCA were significant for all studied traits except EHT, indicating that additive and non-additive gene effects were important in the inheritance of most studied traits. However additive gene effects were more important than non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of all studied traits except for GY. Two inbred lines; Sd-4/2013 and Sk-12 had good general combining effects for GY. The best cross for SCA effects was Sd-63 × Gz-613 for GY; and Sd-1185 × Gz-613 for DTS. The cross Sd-2/2013 × Sk-9 was superior for grain yield and earliness than two checks. Also, four crosses; (Sd-2/2013 × Gz-613), (Sd-41/2015 × Sk-13), (Sd-63 × Gz-613) and (Sd-1185 × Sk-9), were significantly superiority% relative to the two checks. These crosses will be further evaluated in the maize breeding program.