PJB-2022-132
HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY STUDIES IN WHITE MAIZE USING 6×6 HALF DIALLEL MATING DESIGN
Muhammad Nasir Iqbal
Abstract
This study was conducted at Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak, Nowshera, during 2020-21. The breeding material consisted of six parents (CCRI elite lines of white maize i.e. PSLW-7395, PSLW-8310, PSLW-1910, PSLW-0706, PSLW-8317 and PSLW-0407) and 15 F1 hybrids obtained by crossing parents in half diallel fashion during kharif 2020. The seeds of the parents, their hybrids (direct crosses only) and 2 check cultivars (Saad as OPV and CS-220 as commercial hybrid) were planted in a Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during spring 2021 to estimate combining ability and heterosis. Highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes for most of the studied traits. Among the parents PSLW-7395 took minimum days to tasseling, anthesis and silking coupled with shortest plant and ear height while PSLW-0407 performed better for yield and yield related traits. Among the hybrids, minimum days to tasseling (76.83 days), days to 50% anthesis (78 days) as well as days to silking (79.50 days) were recorded for PSLW-7395 × PSLW-8310. Shortest plant height (139.33 cm) and lowest ear height (62.00 cm) were recorded for PSLW-0706 × PSLW-0407. Maximum ear weight (177.32 g) was recorded for PSLW-1910 × PSLW-0407 while the longest ear (21.32 cm) was recorded for PSLW-8310 × PSLW-1910. Highest number of kernel rows ear-1 (17.17) was noted for PSLW-7395 × PSLW-1910 and PSLW-7395 × PSLW-8317 while highest kernels row-1 (44.67) were recorded for PSLW-8310 × PSLW-1910. Maximum 100-kernel weight (43.00 g) was estimated for PSLW-1910 × PSLW-8317. Highest grain yield (7.28 t ha-1) was recorded for PSLW-1910 × PSLW-0407. PSLW-7395 was an excellent general combiner for days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, ASI, ear weight, number of rows per cob and number of kernels ear-1. PSLW-1910 was considered as best general combiner for ear length and grain yield. Among the hybrids, PSLW-7395 × PSLW-8310 appeared as best specific combiner for days to 50% tasseling (-3.69), days to 50% anthesis (-4.00) and days to 50% silking (-4.44), PSLW-0706 × PSLW-0407 for plant height and ear height (-15.23, -9.51), PSLW-8310 × PSLW-1910 for ear length (4.85), PSLW-1910 × PSLW-0407 for ear weight (33.78), PSLW-0706 × PSLW-8317 for kernel rows per ear (2.32), PSLW-8310 × PSLW-1910 kernels per row (8.62), PSLW-1910 × PSLW-8317 for 100-kernel weight (7.12) and PSLW-1910 × PSLW-0407 for grain yield (1.79). Moreover PSLW-7395 × PSLW-1910, PSLW-8310 × PSLW-1910, PSLW-1910 × PSLW-8317 and PSLW-1910 × PSLW-0407 exhibited positive and significant mid parent, best parent, economic and commercial heterosis for grain yield coupled with significant SCA effects for yield and yield attributes reflecting their importance for possible use in future maize breeding programs.
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