Vol. 10, Issue 12 (2021)

Author(s):
Ravi Kumawat, Amit Dadheech and Heera Lal Barupal

Abstract:
Combining ability is the genotype's ability to pass the desired character or superior performance to its progenies. Thus, the present investigation was undertaken to assess the combining ability of 45 hybrids developed using 15 inbred and 3 tester parents in line x tester design during Rabi, 2017-18. These hybrids and parents were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications in three environments as two location during Kharif, 2019 (E1 and E2 environments) and one location during Rabi, 2019-20 (E3 environment). The mean sum of squares due to crosses and line x testers interaction were found significant for all the traits in all the environment as well as pooled over the environments indicating significant differences among the hybrids. The variance due to gca was found lower than variance due to sca for all the traits under indicating preponderance of non-additive component. The parents EI-2159, EI-2176-3, EI-2505, EI-2525-2, EI-2639 and EI-2653 were good general combiners for grain yield per plant. The parents EI-2653 (line) and EI-670 (tester) was found good general combiner for yield contributing traits as ear length, ear girth, grain rows per ear and 100-grain weight, whereas parent EI-102 was found good general combiner for quality traits. Thus, these parents had favorable alleles to improve the yield and yield contributing traits as well as quality traits in maize. Among the 45 hybrids, hybrids EI-2178 x EI-102, EI-2525-2 x EI-03, EI-2176-3 x EI-03, EI-2188-1 x EI-102, EI-2172 x EI-670 and EI-2159 x EI-670 was found good specific combiners for grain yield per plant. Thus, the above parents with desirable gca effects and cross combinations with desirable sca effects for grain yield and yield related traits could be used as useful genetic material for developing high yielding hybrid varieties as well as for exploiting hybrid vigor.