Combining Ability Analysis for Grain Yield and Some Agronomic Traits in Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines Throughout, Diallel Mating Design at Kassala State, Sudan

Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze the combining ability for yield and some agronomic traits of maize inbred lines at two locations, Tacroof, Kassala Research Station farm and Sawagi in a farmer field, at Kassala state, Sudan Five parental line (TZBRD-ADQ-2, TZBRD-ADQ-3, TZBRD-ADQ-4, TZBRD-AD-5 and TZBRD-COMP-6) and their ten single cross (F1hybrid) (TZBRD-ADQ-2× TZBRD-ADQ-3, TZBRD-ADQ-2× TZBRD-ADQ-4, TZBRD-ADQ-2× TZBRD-AD-5, TZBRD-ADQ-2× TZBRD-COMP-6, TZBRD-ADQ-3× TZBRD-ADQ-4, TZBRD-ADQ-3 ×TZBRD-AD-5, TZBRD-ADQ-3× TZBRD-COMP-6, TZBRD-ADQ-4× TZBRD-AD-5, TZBRD-ADQ-4× TZBRD-COMP-6 and TZBRD-AD-5× TZBRD-COMP-6) of maize developed by using Diallel mating design. Four experiments were conducted in two consecutive summer seasons 2016 and 2017. The studied traits included days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking, plant height (cm), ear height (cm), ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), number of rows per ear, number of kernel per row, 100 kernel weight (g), and grain yield (ton/ha). Out of the five parents considered as the best combiner at Kassala site, such as parent TZBRD-COMP-6, TZBRD-ADQ-3 and TZBRD-ADQ-4, which showed a highly significant general combining ability effects in desirable direction for all studied traits. Therefore, these lines could be utilized in improvement of the respective traits in any breeding programs where hybridization was involved. Regarding to, Sawagi location, the best combiner were the parents TZBRD-ADQ-3, TZBRD-COMP-6, and TZBRD-ADQ-2 recorded highly significant general combining ability effects in desirable direction for 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking, ear length, ear diameter, 100 kernels weight, number of row per ear, number of kernel per row and grain yield. Among the ten cross combinations, the best cross was, TZBRD-ADQ-2× TZBRD-ADQ-3 recorded significant SCA effect in the desirable direction for all traits except days to 50% silking, plant height and number of kernel per row at Kassala location, but at Sawagi location cross TZBRD-ADQ-3×TZBRD-COMP-6 recorded significant SCA effect in the desirable direction for days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking, plant height and number of kernel per row, followed by cross TZBRD-ADQ-2×TZBRD-ADQ-3 which recorded a significant SCA effect in the desirable direction for ear height, ear length and grain yield.