Studies on the Assessment of Combining Ability and Heterosis in Maize Inbreds

Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the combining ability for yield and yield components by crossing six diverse maize inbreds in a half diallel mating design. Combining ability analysis for grain yield and its components in maize inbreds were carried out in 6×6 half diallel cross. 15 F1 progenies along with their 6 parents were planted in RCBD with 3 replications. Combining ability analysis revealed that both GCA and SCA variances were significant for all the characters indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive gene action. The parents P1 (IL12), P3 (IL19)and P5 (IL20) were good general combiners for grain yield and some yield contributing traits. The crosses P1×P2, P1×P5, P3×P5, P3×P6, and P5×P6 estimated significant and positive SCA effects for yield and some of the yield contributing traits.