Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
N Sabitha, D Mohan Reddy, D Lokanadha Reddy, M Hemanth Kumar, P Sudhakar and B Ravindra Reddy

Abstract:
Forty five single cross hybrids made involving 10 inbreds of maize in a half diallel fashion excluding reciprocals were tested for their performance at Agricultural Research Station, Perumallapalle, Andhra Pradesh from 2016-17 to 2017 adopting randomised block design with three replications for three seasons viz., rabi, 2016-17, summer, 2017 and kharif, 2017 seasons. Data were recorded for 15 characters viz., days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, days to maturity, plant height, SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR), specific leaf area, specific leaf weight, ear length, ear girth, number of kernel rows ear^-1, number of kernels row^-1, 100 seed weight, harvest index and grain yield plant^-1. Pooled analysis over seasons for hybrids revealed the significant differences among hybrids, seasons and hybrids × seasons for all the characters suggesting the existence of variability among hybrids, seasons and differential response of hybrids to seasons due to genotype × seasons interaction for the characters studied. Out of 45 hybrids, the hybrids viz., Heypool × PDM 1474 followed by BML 7 × DFTY, DFTY × Heypool, BML 15 × PDM 1474 and BML 6 × PDM 1474 recorded the highest per se performance in the descending order for grain yield plant^-1. Hence, these hybrids could be exploited for commercial cultivation directly after ascertaining their performance under MLT’s and on-farm trials over locations/years or could be well utilized in population improvement programme or in heterosis breeding so as to bring improvement in grain yield and yield related characters as these hybrids not only showed superior performance for grain yield but also for the most important yield attributes such as ear length, ear girth, number of kernel rows ear^-1, number of kernels row^-1, 100 seed weight and harvest index.