Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
R Patel, NB Patel, HN Zala and JB Patel

Abstract:
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important monoecious plant with imperfect flowers. Due to its maximum genetic production potential, a study was conducted to determine the best genotype based on combining ability. The experimental material was made up of 8 parents, their 28 crosses (excluding reciprocal) from an 8 × 8 diallel mating design, and one standard check (GDYMH 101). At the Maize Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Bhiloda, the experiment was set up using a randomised block design with three replications to study fourteen characters viz., days to tasseling and silking, anthesis silking interval, plant height, ear height, days to maturity, cob length, cob girth, kernel rows per cob, kernels per row, kernel yield per plant, shelling percentage, 100-kernel weight and protein content in seed. The analysis of variance for experimental design revealed significant mean square values of genotypes for all the variables indicated existence of considerable amount of genetic variations. Comparison of mean squares due to parents vs hybrids and check vs hybrids found to be highly significant for most of the traits. Due consideration should be given to heterosis as the analysis of variance of combining ability demonstrated the predominance of non-additive gene action in the expression of kernel yield per plant and the majority of examined traits. Also, hybrids BLD 255 × WNC 32804 and BLD 255 × BLD 134 displayed higher kernel yield per plant in performance. Estimates of GCA effect revealed that, parent BLD 138 was found good general combiner for kernel yield per plant and other characters viz., anthesis silking interval, kernel rows per cob, kernels per row, shelling percentage and 100-kernel weight. While, the parent BLD 134 had favourable genes for flowering traits. The estimates of SCA effects showed that top three hybrids viz., BLD 255 × WNC 32804, BLD 255 × BLD 134 and BLD 255 × WNC 52346 were exhibited maximum positive significant SCA effect for kernel yield per plant and other contributing traits. Thus, best specific combiners should be exploited to develop commercially high yielding hybrids.