Evaluation on combining ability and heterosis pattern of ten maize populations.

In this study,five maize inbred lines were used as testers to evaluate the combining ability,heterosis and utilizing potential of ten tropical,subtropical and temperate maize populations by North Carolina Design Ⅱ(NCⅡ).The results indicated that five populations,including Mohuang 1,Suwan-1,Xinmo 1,Yuzong 5 and Liaoluzong,had higher general combining ability(GCA) of yield,which could be good germplasm and have bigger potential for maize breeding in Guangxi.Among 50 hybrid combinations derived from the crosses of the 10 populations with testers,five combinations including CML161×Liaoluzong(tropical×temperate),CML165×Xinmo 1(tropical×tropical),5 Gong×Suwan-1(temperate×tropical),Shuang 9×Liaoluzong(tropical×temperate) and CML165×Mohuang 1(tropical×tropical),had higher special combining ability and high yield with high heterosis compared to the control.Therefore,these combinations could be utilized for constructing heterosis patterns of hybrids in breeding to obtain good varieties or combinations.