Peer review

A field experiment was conducted to assess the general combining ability of parents, specific combining ability of hybrids and to estimate heterosis of hybrids under heat stress condition. The experiment consisted of 16 hybrids developed by crossing four female and four male doubled haploid lines in NCD-II design. The hybrids were evaluated along with the commercial check, P1855 during summer 2017 at Agriculture College Farm, Bheemarayanagudi. The magnitude of GCA variance was lesser than SCA variance for tassel blast, ear height, ear girth, number of kernels per cob and shelling percentage indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action in controlling these traits. However, the magnitude of GCA variance was larger than SCA variance for days to 50% anthesis, anthesis to silking interval, plant height, ear length, 100 grain weight indicating the predominance of additive gene action than non-additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. The magnitude of GCA variance was equal to SCA variance for days to 50% silking and grain yield per plant indicating the predominance of both additive and non-additive gene action in the inheritance of these two traits. Among females, ZL155203 was a good general combiner for days to 50% silking. Whereas, ZL155347 was a good general combiner for days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, plant height, ear length, ear girth, number of kernels per cob and grain yield per plant among the male haploid maize lines. Among the hybrids, ZL155201 × ZL155320 exhibited significant negative sca for days to 50% silking. While, ZL155203 × ZL155347 exhibited significant positive standard heterosis for grain yield per plant under heat stress. These promising hybrids could also be used for the isolation of second cycle inbred lines, besides promoting them for deployment.

Maize CRP FP3 - Stress resilient and nutritious maize

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