Heterosis studies in diallel crosses of maize for yield and yield attributing traits in maize ( Zea mays L.) over locations
onlyȱoneȱhybridȱexhibitedȱhighȱsignificantȱstandardȱ reasonȱofȱhighȱdegreeȱofȱheterosisȱwasȱdueȱtoȱgeneticȱ
heterosisȱoverȱ900ȱMȱGold.ȱTheȱhybridsȱwithȱhighȱ divergenceȱinȱtheȱparents,ȱthoughȱtheȱpredominanceȱ
heterosis,ȱheterobeltiosisȱandȱ per se ȱperformanceȱareȱ ofȱ dominantȱ geneȱ actionȱ wasȱ operatingȱ inȱ theȱ
BML-5233-5ȱXȱBML-7,ȱBML-15ȱXȱBML-2910,ȱCM-211ȱ inheritanceȱofȱtraits.ȱAmongȱtheseȱtopȱfiveȱcrosses,ȱ
XȱBML-5233-5,ȱBML-6ȱxȱBML-7ȱandȱBML-6ȱXȱBML-
BML-15ȱ Xȱ BML-2910ȱ alsoȱ registeredȱ significantȱ
2.ȱTheseȱresultsȱareȱinȱcomparableȱwithȱfindingsȱofȱ positiveȱstandardȱheterosisȱforȱnumberȱofȱkernelsȱperȱ
Singhȱ et al. ȱ(2010),ȱBhavanaȱ et al. ȱ(2011),ȱRamȱReddy
row.ȱ Thisȱ indicatesȱ theȱ yieldȱ attributesȱ helpedȱ theȱ
et al. ȱ(2011),ȱSumaliniȱandȱShobhaȱRaniȱ(2011),ȱFarhanȱ hybridsȱtoȱgetȱhighȱheterosisȱforȱgrainȱyieldȱperȱplant.ȱ
et al. ȱ(2012)ȱandȱAbdelȱ et al .ȱ(2014).
Similarlyȱotherȱhybridsȱwhichȱmanifestedȱsignificantȱ
standardȱheterosisȱforȱthisȱtraitȱwereȱBML-6ȱXȱBML-
Grain yield per plant (g)
2,ȱ BML-5233-5ȱ Xȱ BML-3044,ȱ BML-2782ȱ Xȱ BML-6,ȱ
Grainȱ yieldȱ perȱ plantȱ isȱ theȱ importantȱ yieldȱ
CM-211ȱ Xȱ BML-6ȱ andȱ BML-6ȱ xȱ BML-7ȱ andȱ wereȱ
characters.ȱ Grainȱ yieldȱ isȱ aȱ complexȱ quantitativeȱ
alsoȱsupportedȱbyȱdifferentȱquantitativeȱtraitsȱwithȱ
characterȱ whichȱ isȱ influencedȱ byȱ otherȱ ancillaryȱ
significantȱstandardȱheterosisȱoverȱDHM-117.
andȱcomponentȱcharacters.ȱHenceȱallȱchangesȱinȱtheȱ Theȱ crossȱ BML-15ȱ Xȱ BML-2910ȱ possessedȱ highȱ per
componentsȱwouldȱnotȱbeȱexpressedȱasȱchangesȱinȱ se ȱ performanceȱ (161.89g),ȱ significantȱ positiveȱ highȱ
yieldȱbutȱallȱchangesȱinȱyieldȱwouldȱbeȱaccompaniedȱ sca ȱ effectȱ (75.53),ȱ significantȱ standardȱ heterosisȱ
byȱchangesȱinȱoneȱorȱmoreȱcomponents.ȱTheȱpresentȱ (42.79%),ȱsignificantȱaverageȱheterosisȱ(226.21%)ȱandȱ
investigationȱrevealedȱaȱhighȱorderȱofȱheterosisȱforȱ significantȱheterobeltiosisȱ(205.13%)ȱoverȱtheȱcheckȱ
grainȱyieldȱperȱplant.ȱFortyȱthreeȱhybridsȱmanifestedȱ DHM-117ȱ forȱ grainȱ yieldȱ perȱ plant.ȱ Besidesȱ grainȱ
significantȱ positiveȱ heterosisȱ rangingȱ fromȱ -16.75ȱ yield,ȱtheȱcrossȱalsoȱshowedȱhighȱ per se ȱperformance,ȱ
(BML-15ȱ Xȱ BML-3044)ȱ toȱ 226.21ȱ perȱ centȱ (BML-
significantȱpositiveȱ sca ȱeffectsȱandȱstandardȱheterosisȱ
15ȱ Xȱ BML-2910).ȱ Theȱ significantȱ heterobeltiosisȱ forȱotherȱyieldȱcontributingȱcharactersȱlikeȱnumberȱ
wasȱrecordedȱinȱ41ȱhybrids,ȱwithȱaȱrangeȱofȱ-38.94ȱ ofȱ kernelsȱ perȱ row.ȱ Thisȱ hybridȱ wasȱ stableȱ overȱ
(BML-5233-5ȱXȱBML-2486)ȱtoȱ205.13ȱperȱcentȱ(BML-
locationsȱ forȱ grainȱ yieldȱ perȱ plant.ȱ Theȱ nextȱ bestȱ
15ȱXȱBML-2910).ȱNineȱhybridsȱoverȱDHM-117ȱandȱ hybridȱwasȱBML-7ȱXȱBML-3044ȱearlyȱmaturingȱwithȱ
twoȱoverȱ900ȱMȱGoldȱregisteredȱsignificantȱpositiveȱ highȱgrainȱyieldȱperȱplantȱofȱ136.62ȱg,ȱwithȱ sca ȱeffectȱ
standardȱ heterosisȱ inȱ pooledȱ analysis.ȱ Theȱ hybridȱ (30.66),ȱsignificantȱstandardȱheterosisȱ(20.50%)ȱoverȱ
whichȱexhibitedȱhighestȱheterosisȱoverȱDHM-117ȱandȱ DHM-117,ȱ significantȱ averageȱ heterosisȱ (130.72%)ȱ
900ȱMȱGold,ȱwasȱBML-15ȱXȱBML-2910ȱ(42.79%ȱandȱ andȱ significantȱ heterobeltiosisȱ (106.00%)ȱ overȱ theȱ
22.40%)ȱfollowedȱbyȱBML-6ȱXȱBML-3044ȱ(27.80%ȱandȱ checkȱ DHM-117ȱ andȱ thisȱ hybridȱ wasȱ stableȱ overȱ
9.55%),ȱbutȱonlyȱonȱDHM-117ȱwasȱBML-2782ȱXȱBML-
locationsȱforȱgrainȱyield,ȱnumberȱofȱkernelsȱperȱrow,ȱ
7ȱ(24.71%),ȱBML-7ȱXȱBML-3044ȱ(20.50)ȱandȱCM-211ȱXȱ plantȱ height,ȱ numberȱ ofȱ kernelȱ rowsȱ perȱ ear,ȱ earȱ
BML-7ȱ(12.52).ȱTheseȱresultsȱareȱinȱcomparableȱwithȱ lengthȱandȱearȱgirth.ȱTheȱanotherȱhybrid,ȱCM-211ȱXȱ
findingsȱ ofȱ Deviȱ andȱ Prodhanȱ (2004),ȱ Premalatha,ȱ BML-7ȱwithȱhighȱgrainȱyieldȱperȱplantȱofȱ127.58ȱg,ȱ
andȱKalamaniȱ(2010),ȱSinghȱ et al. ȱ(2010),ȱSultanȱ et al.
withȱ sca ȱeffectȱ(29.43),ȱsignificantȱstandardȱheterosisȱ
(2010),ȱBhavanaȱ et al. ȱ(2011),ȱRamȱReddyȱ et al. ȱ(2011),ȱ (12.52%),ȱ significantȱ averageȱ heterosisȱ (138.61%)ȱ
Farhanȱ et al. ȱ(2012),ȱMelkamuȱ et al. ȱ(2013),ȱAbdelȱ et al .ȱ andȱ significantȱ heterobeltiosisȱ (92.36%)ȱ andȱ thisȱ
(2014),ȱAsifȱ et al. (2014),ȱImdadȱ et al .(2014),ȱRajeshȱ et
hybridȱ wasȱ stableȱ wasȱ overȱ locationsȱ forȱ grainȱ
al. ȱ(2014)ȱandȱRuswandiȱ et al .(2015).
yieldȱ perȱ plant,ȱ andȱ earȱ girth.ȱ Theȱ hybrid,ȱ BML-
Grainȱyieldȱperȱplantȱisȱaȱmultiplicativeȱproductȱofȱ
6ȱ Xȱ BML-2ȱ withȱ grainȱ yieldȱ perȱ plantȱ ofȱ (127.54),ȱ
severalȱ basicȱ componentsȱ ofȱ yield.ȱ Theȱ increasedȱ
withȱ sca ȱeffectȱ(20.51),ȱsignificantȱstandardȱheterosisȱ
grainȱ yieldȱ isȱ definitelyȱ becauseȱ ofȱ increaseȱ inȱ oneȱ
(12.50%),ȱsignificantȱaverageȱheterosisȱ(99.43%)ȱandȱ
orȱ moreȱ thanȱ oneȱ yieldȱ components.ȱ Theȱ majorȱ
significantȱ heterobeltiosisȱ (88.12%)ȱ andȱ thisȱ hybridȱ
281