Heterosis and Combining Ability of Twelve Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) Varieties

Abstract

The combining ability and heterosis of 12 maize varieties were carried out using dialed mating design. The 12 maize varieties were subjected to full diallel cross experiment in 2001 and 2002 in the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka experimental field. Data were taken on the following maize traits, viz. plant height, ear height, ear aspect, cob length, 100 seed weight, yield, days to 50% silking, protein, oil and lysine. The general combing ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) mean square were highly significant (P≤0.01) for all the traits except for lysine. A minimum of 20% and maximum of 70% heterosis were observed in the hybrid. The highest heterotic value (197%) was detected for oil in the cross between TZBR Ses-3C4-Y and TZBR ELD-1C7 varieties followed by lysine (66.66%) observed in the cross between TZBR Sec-1C3W and TZBR Ses3C4-Y).

Keywords: Heterosis, Combing ability, Zea mays varieties, Plant height, Ear height, Ear aspect, Cob length