Vol. 10, Issue 8 (2021)

Author(s):
Niranjan Kumar Chaurasia, RBP Nirala, Birender Singh, Jai Prakash Yadav and Raj Kishor Roy

Abstract:
Understanding the nature of gene action and trait expression are keys for effective breeding. The objective of present investigation was to estimates the general (GCA) combining ability, specific (SCA) combining ability, and heritability of yield and yield component traits in maize. An experimental trial was carried out during Kharif-2019 at Experimental Area, Bhola Paswan Shastri Agricultural College, Purnea, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur with seven parental inbred lines and their twenty one crosses generated through half diallel matting scheme during Rabi, 2018-19. The results obtained disclose the presence of a great genetic variability between the crosses and their parents; additive and non-additive gene effects are involved in the control of all the traits under study. The estimate of variance ratio of general (GCA) combining ability and the specific (SCA) combining ability was less than unity which indicates the preponderance of the non-additive gene effects for all the traits under study except ear height, ear length and 1000-kernel weight. The best selected crosses with significant SCA effects and GCA effects for at least female parent for grain yield per plant and yield component traits was, P5 x P7 and may be exploited commercially after critical evaluation for their superior and stable performance over environments.