Abstract
Superiority of hybrid maize cannot be overemphasized. Different types of hybrids are developed by plant breeders to improve productivity and multi-locational evaluation of these hybrids prior to release is necessary to select the best. The objectives of this study were to identify maize hybrids with superior agronomic potentials and compare the performance of top-cross and three-way cross hybrid maize varieties for grain yield and related traits under rain-fed condition in three different locations (Abeokuta, Ibadan and Akure) of Southwest Nigeria. The study consisted of ten hybrids each of top-cross and three-way cross hybrid varieties, tested with two checks. At each location, the experiment was laid out in randomised complete block design with three replications. The results showed that effects of locations, genotypes and genotype x location interactions were highly significant (p<0.01) for all the traits evaluated. Significant differences were also revealed between the top-cross and three-way cross hybrids for all the traits evaluated except days to 50% tasseling, ear diameter and 100-grain weight. The top-cross hybrids were superior over the three-way cross hybrids for grain yield by 5.25%. The hybrids ‘M0926-7’, ‘M0926-8’, ‘M1026-11’, ‘M1026-3’, ‘M1226-2’ (top-cross hybrids), ‘M1124-24’, ‘M1124-27’, ‘M1124-31’, ‘M1227-6’ and ‘M1227-7’ (three-way cross hybrids) showed highest stable yields across the three locations. Hybrids ‘M0926-7’ (top-cross hybrid) and ‘M1124-24’ (three-way cross hybrid) that expressed early flowering with higher grain yield are recommended for drought stress prone areas because of their abilities to tolerate drought through escape.
Highlights
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal that is mainly used for food and feed in many parts of Africa
Data were collected on days to 50% anthesis (DPOL), days to 50% silking (DSLK), plant height (PLHT), ear height (EHT), field weight (FDWT), ear length (ELTH), ear diameter (EDMT), number of kernel rows per cob (KROW), 100-grain weight (GWT), moisture content and grain yield (YLD)
In this study the highly significant differences among the hybrids for grain yield and other agronomic characters evaluated might be due to the diverse backgrounds from which the hybrids used in the study were developed
Summary
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal that is mainly used for food and feed in many parts of Africa. In larger parts of Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), maize is the principal staple crop, covering a total of nearly 27 million ha (FAO, 2010). It accounts for 30% of the total area under cereal production in this region: 19% in West Africa, 61% in Central Africa, 29% in Eastern Africa and 65% in Southern Africa (FAO, 2010). In Southern Africa, maize is important, accounting for over 30% of the total calories and protein consumed (FAO, 2010). According to Dowswell et al (1996), maize has been put to a wide range of uses than any other cereal: as human food, feed grain, fodder crop, and for many industrial purposes because of it broad global distribution, its low price relative to other cereals, its diverse grain types, and its wide range of biological and industrial properties
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