Thuraya.Nwiji(1)

(1). Faculty of Agriculture, AL-Furat University, Syria (Corresponding author: Thuraya.Nwiji. E-Mail : dr.thuraya.nwiji@gmail.com

Received: 17/01/2019 Accepted: 23/02/2020

abstract

This study was conducted to assess performance, combining ability, heterosis and gene action for 15 single crosses of maize (Zea mays L.) and 8 parents (5 lines and 3 testers) in line x tester analysis at Raqqa governorate in two locations; Raqqa Research Center (RRC) and Ali Baglih Research Station (ABRS), Syria, in 2013. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed highly significant differences among genotypes for all traits, also, between parents for all traits. Most of the parents were early flowering except IL.175-10. Two hybrids IL.179-09×IL.356-10 and IL.19-09×IL.356-10 were recorded the best earliness at two sites. Results of mean grain yield performance showed that crosses IL.179-09×IL.356-10, IL.175-10×IL.356-10 and IL.179-09×IL.1-10 were the best at RRC location with means of 10000, 9790 and 9704 kg/ ha, respectively; while at ABRS location, the crosses IL.175-10×IL.356-10, IL.179-09×IL.356-10 and IL.5-09×IL.1-10 were the best with mean grain yields of 8804, 8381 and 8365 kg/ha, respectively. Combining ability analysis showed that additive gene effects were found to be important for inheritance of ear diameter and grain yield while that traits days to 50% silking and ear height were controlled by non-additive gene effects. The lines IL.175-10 and IL.179-09 , and tester IL.356-10 showed the best general combining ability (GCA) for grain yield, earliness and other traits at two sites. The lines IL.5-09 and IL.179-09 and, the testers IL.356-10 and IL.1-10 showed the best GCA for short ear height, while the lines IL.175-10, IL.27-10 and IL.1909 and, the tester L.134-10 showed positive GCA effects for ear height. Assessment of significant positive SCA effects and heterosis for grain yield revealed that crosses IL.179-09×IL.356-10 and IL.175-10×IL.356-10. The cross IL.356-10×IL.179-09 showed the best association between performance, SCA effects and heterosis for the grain yield and earliness, could be used in different environments in Raqqa governorate. Results of potency ratio indicated that inheritance of grain yield was controlled by over dominance, while inheritance of other traits was controlled by partial, complete and over dominance in some crosses.

Keyword: Performance, Combining Ability, Gene Action, Heterosis , Maize

Full paper in Arabic: PDF