Role of Molecular Marker RAPD in Determining the Genetic Divergence between Hybrids and Inbreed Lines of Maize Using Full Diallel Cross

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during the spring and autumn seasons of 2021in farmer's fields on the right side of the Euphrates River – Ramadidistrict / the center of Anbar Governorate. In an entire reciprocal program, four inbreds of maize (Zm1, A119, Syn-33 and A105) were used and introduced to produce 12 single hybrids. The seeds of the parents and the resulting hybrids were planted according to randomized complete block design (RCBD)at four replications to estimate the heterosis. The reciprocal hybrid Syn-33 x A105 and the reverse hybrid Syn-33 x A105 were significantly superior. They gave the highest means of grain yield (215.78, 203.10 g), grain weight (99.74 and 98.56 g), number of grains in the ear (17.4 and 16.7 grains row-1 ) and heterosis (116.01 and 103.32%) in grain yield respectively. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique and 15 primers were used. The highest genetic divergence was 0.69 between Zm1 and Syn-33 inbreds, while the highest genetic divergence between inbreds and hybrids was 0.75 between Zm1 inbred and A105 x A119 hybrid. Keywords: Primer, Heterosis, Genetic, Polymorphic, RCR.