Gene action and order effects in single, three-way and double cross hybrids of maize ( Zea mays L.) for fodder yield across environments

Abstract

In India maize is the third most important cereal crop after rice and wheat. Seven inbreds were involved in crossing to obtain twenty one single crosses and 105 each of three-way and double crosses in half diallel fashion and further evaluated in kharif 2015 at three locations. Diallel, triallel and quadriallel analysis were conducted to study general and specific combining abilities, gene action and order effects for forage yield. In diallel, good general combiners, BML 51 and BML 14 produced a highest fodder yielding and a good specific combiner BML 51 × BML 14 and in the triallel also the same inbreds were found to be good general combiners either as grand parent or parent. Three way cross (BML 14 × BML 6) × BML 51 had highest mean of 9949 kg ha^-1 involved BML 14 as grand parent and BML 51 as parent with highest three-line specific effect. In quadriallel,  BML 51 is the best general combiner, (BML 51 × BML 14) × BML 10 had highly significant three line interaction effect (sijk) and the double cross involving these parents (BML 51 × BML 10) × (BML 14 × BML 13) recorded fodder yield of 8333 kg ha^-1. Present study revealed that good general combiners and specific combiners were involved in significant interaction effects of three way and double crosses and resulted in higher fodder yields. Dominance interaction in single crosses and additive × additive and additive × dominance type of epistatic interactions in three way crosses and additive × additive × additive interaction in double crosses were predominant, hence possibility of exploitation through heterosis breeding in identifying promising hybrids for cultivation and deriving potential inbreds through pedigree breeding. Parent order effects i.e. the order of lines utilized in three-way crosses and double crosses were clearly elucidated, the order of in which crosses will be effected for obtaining superior hybrids with high forage yield.