Abstract

Combining ability analysis for yield and its component traits in maize was performed with 10 parents and the resulting 45 hybrids using diallel cross analysis (excluding reciprocals) in three locations. The results of combining ability analysis revealed significant mean squares due to general and specific combining ability indicating that both additive and non-additive gene actions were important in the inheritance of characters studied. Variances due to specific combining ability (sca) were larger than general combining ability (gca) for all the characters indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action in the expression of various traits. The parents BML-6, BML-7 and BML-5233-5 were good general combiners for yield and majority of the traits over the locations. Hence, these parents can be used in crossing and further exploited for improvement of traits in the population. BML-5233-5 and BML-2 are good general combiners among the parents for earliness i. e. days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking and days to maturity. Whereas the hybrids BML-15 × BML-2910, BML-6 × BML-3044, BML-2782 × BML-7, BML-7 × BML-3044 and BML-2486 × BML-3044 were identified as potential ones for yield and yield components based on high sca effects along with high per se performance. These hybrids may be exploited for commercial cultivation by testing them over locations and years for their yield stability.