Interrelationship and path coefficient analysis of morpho-physiological traits among maize (&lt;i&gt;Zea mays&lt;/i&gt; L.) diallelic crosses in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

Sa Ige,Sy Abdulmaliq,Ms Afolabi,Ob Bello

doi:10.4314/as.v11i2.3

Abstract

This study was done to determine the effect of the grain yield and its related characteristics on 10 open-pollinated maize varieties and their 45 F1 hybrids using correlation and path coefficient analysis. A two-year study was conducted on maize genotypes at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm Ilorin, Nigeria, during 2005 and 2006 growing seasons. Positive and significant phenotypic and genotypic correlations were found for days to 50% tasselling with plant and ear heigh t, and grain yield with plant height, number of grains ear-1 and ear weight. Positive and significant environmental correlation was also recorded for grain yield with plant and ear height, and ear weight. The path analysis revealed that, days to 50% silking, ear weight and number of grains ear-1 had the highest direct effect on grain yield, while number of grains ear-1 had the highest moderate indirect negative effects on grain yield. Days to flowering, plant and ear height, number of grains ear-1 and ear weight could be the important selection criteria in improving open pollinated maize varieties and hybrids for high grain yield.Key words: Phenotypic, genotypic correlation, open pollinated varieties, yield characters

Highlights

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important staple food crop and provides bulk of raw materials for the livestock and many agro-allied industries in the world
Ten open pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) developed for grain yield and adaptation to abiotic and biotic (Stalk rot, Striga and Downy mildew) stresses were obtained from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
Phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficients calculated among examined characteristics in maize genotypes are presented in Table 3 and 4

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important staple food crop and provides bulk of raw materials for the livestock and many agro-allied industries in the world. Researchers have attempted been to determine the association between the characters for selection of high maize grain yield. Orlyan et al (1999) and Gautam et al (1999) suggested that most important characters in improving maize grain yield are number of grains row-1, number of grain ear-1 and plant height. Mohammad et al (2003) determined the interrelationship between grain yield and its components from eighteen maize lines/hybrids, using genotypic correlation and path coefficient analysis. Geetha and Jayaraman (2000) studied direct and indirect effects of different quantitative traits on grain yield in 90 hybrids and reported that number of grains ear-1 exerted a maximum direct effect on grain yield They suggested that selection of number of grains ear-1 could be highly effective for improvement of grain yield. The objectives of the present research was to determine the association between maize grain yield and some other agronomic characters with the view to identifying characters whose selection could be used in improving grain yield

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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