Gene action and combining ability studies for grain yield and its contributing characters in maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Evaluation of inbred lines for general combining ability (gca) provides useful information for the selection of parents in terms of performance of hybrids and elucidate the nature and magnitude of gene action involved in the expression of quantitative characters. In this context, 8 diverse maize inbred lines were crossed in diallel mating design to evaluate their gca for grain yield and its attributing traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the inbred lines for their per se performance as well as their gca. Similarly, the crosses differed significantly for per se performance and their specific combining ability (SCA) effects for all the traits under study. Significant effects of GCA and SCA indicating both additive and non additive gene effects were present in the material under study. Variance due to sca was larger than gca variance for all the characters indicating the preponderance of non additive gene action in the expression of various traits. Among the parents Bio-688 and BML-6 were found to be good general combiners for grain yield per plant and major yield attributing characters with significant and positive gca effects. The hybrids BML-6 × PFSR-46, BGS-337 × Bio-688 and BML-6 × Bio-688 showed high sca effects for grain yield and other important yield component characters.