Combining ability of tropical maize cultivars in organic and conventional production systems

Abstract

The objectives were to identify maize germplasm for the organic productions system and to compare the genetic effects of the grain yield of maize cultivars in organic and conventional production systems. Diallel crosses were made between six maize cultivars and the hybrid combinations were evaluated in conventional and organic production systems. The hybrid combinations produced different grain yields in the two production systems. The interaction between general combining ability and production systems was significant for grain yield, ear height and number of ears. This indicates that the additive genetic effects differ in organic and conventional production systems. The specific combining abilities (SCA) were significant for grain yield and plant height, indicating a significant difference between the non-additive effects. However, the SCA x production systems interactions were not significant for those traits. It was concluded that for the development of maize cultivars for the organic production system, selection must be made in the specific environment for the expression of favorable alleles that confer advantages for adapting to this system; the general combining ability of genitors is different for the two production systems, but the specific combining ability isn't different in organic and conventional systems.