Genetic Diversity, Specific Combining Ability, and Heterosis in Tropical Maize under Stress and Nonstress Environments

Estimation of genetic diversity and distance among tropical maize ( Zea mays L.) lines and the correlation between genetic distance (GD) and hybrid performance would determine breeding strategies, classify inbred lines, define heterotic groups, and predict future hybrid performance. The objectives of this study were to estimate (i) heterosis and specific combining ability (SCA) for grain yield under stress and non‐stress environments; (ii) genetic diversity for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) within a set of tropical lines; (iii) GD and classify the lines according to their GD; and (iv) correlation between the GD and hybrid performance, heterosis, and SCA. Seventeen lowland, white tropical inbred lines were represented in a diallel study. Inbred lines and hybrids were evaluated in 12 stress and nonstress environments. The expression of heterosis was greater under drought stress and smaller under low N environments than under nonstress environments. A set of DNA markers identifying 81 loci was used to fingerprint the 17 lines. The level of genetic diversity was high, with 4.65 alleles/locus and polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranging from 0.11 to 0.82. Genomic regions with quantitative trait loci (QTL) for drought tolerance previously identified showed lower genetic diversity. Genetic distance based on RFLP marker data classified the inbred lines in accordance with their pedigree. Positive correlation was found between GD and F 1 performance (F 1 ), SCA, midparent heterosis (MPH) and high‐parent heterosis (HPH). Specific combining ability had the strongest correlation with GD. Environment significantly affected the correlations between F 1 , SCA, MPH, and HPH, with lower values of GD revealed in the more stressed conditions.