Reddy et al.
Maizeȱisȱaȱhighlyȱcrossȱpollinatedȱcropȱandȱtheȱscopeȱ 50ȱ perȱ centȱ silking,ȱ daysȱ toȱ maturity,ȱ plantȱ heightȱ
forȱ theȱ exploitationȱ ofȱ hybridȱ vigourȱ dependȱ onȱ (cm),ȱearȱheightȱ(cm),ȱearȱgirthȱ(cm),ȱearȱlengthȱ(cm),ȱ
theȱ directionȱ andȱ magnitudeȱ ofȱ heterosisȱ providesȱ numberȱofȱkernelȱrowsȱperȱear,ȱnumberȱofȱkernelsȱ
informationȱonȱextentȱofȱgeneticȱdiversityȱofȱparentsȱ perȱ row,ȱ 100-seedȱ weightȱ (g)ȱ andȱ grainȱ yieldȱ perȱ
inȱdevelopingȱsuperiorȱF 1 sȱsoȱasȱtoȱexploit.ȱHybridȱ plantȱ(g).ȱTheȱanalysisȱofȱvarianceȱforȱeachȱtraitȱwasȱ
vigourȱ andȱ hasȱ directȱ bearingȱ onȱ theȱ breedingȱ calculatedȱ asȱ perȱ Panseȱ andȱ Sukhatmeȱ (1978).ȱ Theȱ
methodologyȱtoȱbeȱadaptedȱforȱvarietalȱimprovementȱ pooledȱ meanȱ valueȱ overȱ threeȱ locationsȱ forȱ eachȱ
(Shullȱ1908).
parentȱ andȱ hybridȱ wasȱ takenȱ forȱ computationȱ ofȱ
Basicȱ knowledgeȱ onȱ theȱ geneticȱ potentialȱ ofȱ
heterosis,ȱheterobeltiosisȱandȱstandardȱheterosisȱoverȱ
baseȱ populations,ȱ eitherȱ per se ȱ orȱ inȱ crossesȱ areȱ
DHM-117ȱandȱ900ȱMȱGoldȱaccordingȱtoȱtheȱmethodȱ
importantȱ informationȱ inȱ breedingȱ programsȱ forȱ
ofȱFonsecaȱandȱPattersonȱ(1968).
theȱ developmentȱ ofȱ outstandingȱ cultivars.ȱ Theȱ
Results and Discussion
diallelȱ matingȱ schemeȱ hasȱ beenȱ widelyȱ usedȱ toȱ
provideȱinformationȱonȱtheȱperformanceȱofȱparentalȱ Exploitationȱ ofȱ heterosisȱ orȱ hybridȱ vigourȱ isȱ anȱ
populationsȱ andȱ theirȱ heteroticȱ patternȱ inȱ crossesȱ importantȱ methodȱ ofȱ cropȱ improvementȱ adoptedȱ
(Hallauerȱ andȱ Mirandaȱ 1995).ȱ Diallelȱ crossesȱ alsoȱ inȱmanyȱofȱtheȱcropsȱespeciallyȱinȱcrossȱpollinatedȱ
allowȱtheȱidentificationȱofȱheteroticȱgroupsȱandȱtheȱ crops.ȱThisȱphenomenonȱofȱheterosisȱwasȱattractedȱ
predictionȱ ofȱ theȱ performanceȱ ofȱ newȱ populationsȱ theȱattentionȱofȱplantȱbreedersȱdueȱtoȱitsȱconspicuousȱ
derivedȱ fromȱ populationȱ crosses.ȱ Therefore,ȱ theȱ effectȱonȱeconomicȱcharactersȱespeciallyȱgrainȱyieldȱ
presentȱ investigationȱ wasȱ carriedȱ outȱ toȱ knowȱ theȱ andȱalsoȱmaturity,ȱqualityȱtraits.ȱThisȱheterosisȱhasȱ
directionȱandȱmagnitudeȱofȱheterosisȱinȱmaize.
beenȱsuccessfullyȱexploitedȱinȱmanyȱcrossȱpollinatedȱ
cropsȱamongȱwhichȱmaizeȱisȱtheȱmajorȱone.
Materials and Methods
Analysis of variance
Fortyȱ fiveȱ hybrids,ȱ tenȱ parentsȱ andȱ twoȱ checksȱ
(DHM-117ȱandȱ900ȱMȱGold)ȱwereȱevaluatedȱduringȱ Theȱ pooledȱ analysisȱ ofȱ varianceȱ (Diallelȱ analysis)ȱ
rabi, ȱ2011-12ȱatȱthreeȱdifferentȱlocationsȱ viz., ȱCollegeȱ overȱthreeȱlocationsȱrevealedȱsignificantȱdifferencesȱ
Farm,ȱ Rajendranagar,ȱ Hyderabad,ȱ Agriculturalȱ forȱlocationsȱforȱallȱtheȱcharactersȱstudiedȱ(Tableȱ1).ȱ
Researchȱ Station,ȱ Karimnagarȱ andȱ Agriculturalȱ Significantȱ differencesȱ forȱ replicationsȱ xȱ locationsȱ
Researchȱ Station,ȱ Kampasagar,ȱ Nalgondaȱ Districtsȱ wereȱrecordedȱonlyȱforȱdaysȱtoȱ50ȱperȱcentȱtasseling.ȱ
ofȱAndhraȱPradeshȱ(NowȱinȱTelanganaȱState),ȱIndia.ȱ Theȱdifferencesȱamongȱtheȱparents,ȱparentȱvsȱcrossesȱ
Eachȱentryȱwasȱsownȱinȱaȱrowȱofȱ4ȱmetersȱlengthȱwithȱ andȱcrossesȱwereȱobservedȱtoȱbeȱsignificantȱforȱallȱtheȱ
aȱspacingȱofȱ75ȱcmȱbetweenȱrowsȱandȱ20ȱcmȱbetweenȱ charactersȱstudied.ȱTheȱparentsȱexhibitedȱsignificantȱ
theȱ plants.ȱ Oneȱ planȱ perȱ hillȱ wasȱ maintained.ȱ Theȱ differencesȱ forȱ allȱ theȱ charactersȱ indicatingȱ
recommendedȱ fertilizersȱ ofȱ Nitrogen,ȱ Phosphorusȱ greaterȱ diversityȱ inȱ theȱ parentalȱ lines.ȱ Theȱ crossesȱ
andȱ Murateȱofȱ Potashȱwereȱ appliedȱ inȱ theȱratioȱ ofȱ exhibitedȱsignificantȱdifferences,ȱindicatingȱvaryingȱ
120:80:60ȱkgȱha- 1 .ȱTheȱentireȱphosphorusȱandȱmurateȱ performanceȱ ofȱ cross-combinations.ȱ Theȱ parentȱ vsȱ
ofȱpotashȱandȱhalfȱdoseȱofȱnitrogenȱwasȱappliedȱasȱ crossesȱwhichȱindicatesȱaverageȱheterosis,ȱwasȱalsoȱ
basal,ȱwhileȱremainingȱhalfȱdoseȱofȱnitrogenȱinȱtwoȱ significantȱforȱallȱtheȱtraits,ȱthusȱconsiderableȱamountȱ
equalȱsplitȱdosesȱatȱkneeȱheightȱstageȱandȱtasselingȱ ofȱ averageȱ heterosisȱ wasȱ reflectedȱ inȱ hybrids.ȱ Theȱ
stages.ȱ Interculturalȱ operationsȱ likeȱ weedingȱ andȱ interactionȱeffectȱofȱ(parentȱvsȱhybrid)ȱxȱenvironmentȱ
irrigationȱschedulesȱwereȱtakenȱtoȱprotectȱtheȱcropȱ wasȱ significantȱ forȱ earȱ length,ȱ numberȱ ofȱ kernelsȱ
fromȱpestsȱandȱdiseases,ȱsoȱasȱtoȱraiseȱaȱhealthyȱcrop.ȱ perȱrow,ȱ100-seedȱweightȱandȱgrainȱyieldȱperȱplant.ȱ
Atȱfloweringȱandȱmaturityȱstages,ȱobservationsȱwereȱ Whileȱtheȱinteractionȱeffectsȱofȱparentȱxȱenvironmentȱ
recordedȱ onȱ daysȱ toȱ 50ȱ perȱ centȱ tasseling,ȱ daysȱ toȱ andȱ hybridȱ xȱ environmentȱ wereȱ significantȱ forȱ earȱ
272