Genetic evaluation of quality protein maize hybrids for heterosis and combining ability for grain yield and its component characters

A Diallel mating set of eight newly developed Quality Protein Maize inbreds were utilized to evaluate combining ability and heterosis for yield and its component characters, at Field Experimentation Centre, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding SHUATS, Prayagraj, during Kharif 2018. Analysis of Variance revealed that significant differences among the parents and experimental hybrids for all the characters except for Anthesis Silking Interval. The highest significant positive standard heterosis over standard check HQPM-5 for grain yield per plant was exhibited by LM-13 x HKI-34 (6.03%). The SCA variance component was observed to be higher than the corresponding GCA variance component for all the traits except for Anthesis Silking Interval indicating the preponderance of non-additive gene action for the inheritance of these traits. The parents BHU-N6 and LM-13 were identified as best combiners for grain yield per plant and protein content respectively. On the basis of per se performance, heterotic response, SCA estimates for grain yield per plant cross, LM-13 x HKI-34 was found promising and may be exploited commercially after critical evaluation for its superiority and stability across the locations and over years.