Abstract
The study was carried out using full diallel cross between six inbred lines of maize, parents and their F1 including reciprocals were planted in 19th march 2014 at field of agriculture college, Duhok University. All treatments arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to estimate the general and specific combining ability of maize traits in single cross hybrids. According to the mean square values of The results showed that the general combining ability, specific combining ability, and reciprocal combining ability, the general combining ability exhibited significant variance for all traits except days to 75% tasseling and number of kernels row-1, whereas, specific combining ability was non significant for leaf area though its prerogative for all other traits. The reciprocal combining ability was remarkable for days to 75% tasseling, plant and ear height, leaf area, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows ear-1, number of kernels row-1, 300- kernel weight and yield plant-1. The hybrid IK8xTH613 displayed the best value for yield plant-1 and IK58XTH613 for days to 75% tasseling, while the reciprocal HSxIK8 was the best for yield plant-1.
Highlights
Knowledge on combining ability among maize genotypes is the key in augmenting the efficiency of hybrid improvement,since combining ability analysis is the most important means to recognize the best combiners that can be used in the crosses for utilizing the accumulation of productive genes, Melkamu et al (41), and, Legesse et al(41) found that the combining ability consisted from general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA),and subsequently the combining ability could help to give a clue for choosing the best strains
Mohammed et al (41) evaluated the combining ability, the results confirmed that the mean squares of GCA were highly significant for these traits the number of grains row-1, number of row ear-1, ear and plant height, number of days to tasseling and silking, 300-grain weight, leaf area and yield plant-1.In this reqard Ali (3) revealed that the GCA effects were more connected to grain yield and yield component traits in an inbred line, the significant positive GCA effects for yield were highly related
Kanagarasu et al (44) and Muna et al (43) reported that the variance due to SCA was higher than the variance of GCA in maize for plant height, ear height, grain yield plant-1, cob diameter, cob length, leaf length, 100- grain weight, grain rows cob-1, day to 50% tasseling and silking
Summary
Knowledge on combining ability among maize genotypes is the key in augmenting the efficiency of hybrid improvement ,since combining ability analysis is the most important means to recognize the best combiners that can be used in the crosses for utilizing the accumulation of productive genes, Melkamu et al (41), and , Legesse et al(41) found that the combining ability consisted from GCA and SCA,and subsequently the combining ability could help to give a clue for choosing the best strains. General combining ability (GCA) was substantially significant for plant and ear height, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows ear-1, 300-kernel weight and yield plant-1.
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