Combining Ability Analysis of Early Maturing Quality Protein Maize (Zea mays L.) Lines and Heterosis of their F1 Hybrids

The present investigation was carried out with 56 genotypes involving 10 parental inbred lines, their 45 F1s hybrids and one check (HQPM-5) with an objective to identify the suitable parents and desirable hybrid combinations using diallel mating design (excluding reciprocals) during Rabi 2018-2019 and Kharif 2019 at Field Experimentation Centre, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SHUATS, Prayagraj (Allahabad), U.P. Analysis of variance revealed that the mean sum of squares due to treatments, parents, hybrids and parent vs. hybrids showed significant differences for all traits studied at 1% level of significance except for Anthesis Silking Interval. The SCA variance were higher than GCA variances for traits viz., anthesis silking interval, plant height and ear height, days to maturity and number of kernel per row indicating predominance of non- additive gene action of these traits. However, the low and moderate values were obtained in the remaining traits. The QPM inbred lines viz., CM-600, HKI-34 (H2), POP-31Q-182Q11 and TMT-TROP (QPM) which exhibited good general combiner for at least one trait can be used as donor parents for the accumulation of favourable genes and crosses TARUN-83-1-32 X JP-25-W95 and TMT-TROP-(QPM) X CM-138-1 showed highest positive significant SCA effects for grain yield per plant. These hybrids probably have potential as parents of hybrid varieties, as well as for inclusion in breeding programmes. POP-31Q-182Q11 X HKI-193-1, POP-31Q-182Q11 X TARUN-83-1-32 exhibited positive significant economic heterosis for grain yield and other yield attributing characters over check indicating the possibility of increasing yield by exploiting heterotic potential of these maize genotypes.