Heterosis analysis for grain yield traits in Maize (Zea mays L.)
Abstract
In the present study 6 inbreds were used as parents to make crosses in all possible cross combination in full diallel fashion to obtain total 30 possible F1 hybrids. These 30 F1’s were subjected to heterosis analysis for midparental, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis, where 900M a prominent hybrid was used as standard check. For judging good F1 hybrids, negative heterosis was considered to be better for five traits (days to tasseling, days to silking, anthesis silking interval, days to maturity and plant height), while positive heterosis was considered to be desirable for the remaining traits (ear length, ear girth, number of kernel rows per ear, number of kernels per row, ear weight, shelling per cent, 100 grain weight and grain yield per plant). A perusal of standard heterosis revealed that out of 30 crosses studied, none of the hybrids were found to possess significant standard heterosis for all the traits studied. A total of eight hybrids exhibited significant and favourable standard heterosis for grain yield and its component traits. Among the eight hybrids, the hybrid UMI 133 x UMI 122 for seven traits and the remaining hybrids viz UMI 112 x UMI 66, UMI 112 x UMI 122, UMI 112 x UMI 133, UMI 122 x UMI 66, UMI 133 x UMI 112, UMI 133 x UMI 213 and UMI 213 x UMI 112 for five traits recorded significant and favourable standard heterosis and these could be adjudged as promising hybrids. Though the hybrids UMI 213 x UMI 176, UMI 133 x UMI 66 showed significant and favourable standard heterosis for maximum number traits, they were not considered as best ones due to the non significant standard heterosis of those hybrids for most important trait i.e. grain yield per plant. The extent of heterosis for grain yield per plant over check hybrid was found to be the maximum followed by ear weight. The heterosis over check hybrid recorded for anthesis silking interval was the maximum among the traits for which negative heterosis was favourable followed by plant height.
It is certified that:
- The corresponding author is fully responsible for any disputes arising due to the publication of his/her manuscript.
- The article has been seen by all the authors who are satisfied with its form and content.
- The sequence of names of authors in the by-line is as per their relative contribution to this experiment, giving due credit to all scientists who made notable contribution to it.
- All the authors fully understand that inclusion of any other co-authors or exclusion of any co-authors is not possible once the article has been submitted to the journal.
- The corresponding author takes full responsibility for this article.
- The address of the organization where the research was conducted is given.
- The article is exclusive for this journal, and the results reported here have not been sent (and will not be sent during its consideration by this journal) for publication in any other journal.
- Authors agree to abide by the objective comments of referees and do agree to modify the article into a short note as per the recommendation, for publication in the Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding.
- If published in Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, the copyright of this article would vest with the Indian Society of Plant Breeders, who will have the right to enter into any agreement with any organization in India or abroad engaged in reprography, photocopying, storage and dissemination of information contained in it, and neither we nor our legal heirs will have any claims on royalty.
