Heterotic and heritability pattern of grain yield and related traits in doubled haploid f1 hybrids of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

In this study, fifteen cross combinations evolved from five doubled haploid maize lines, and three open-pollinated varieties used as testers were evaluated for broad-sense heritability, narrow-sense heritability, heterosis, and heterobeltiosis values during 2017-18. The broad-sense heritability and narrow-sense heritability recorded higher for all the studied traits. Higher broad-sense heritability was recorded for grains per cob (99.6%), grain yield per plant (98.8%), cob length (98.2%), and kernels per cob row (98.1%). Higher narrow-sense heritability was found
in grain yield per plant (87.7%), cob height (79.8%), kernel per cob row (79.5%), cob diameter (68.7%) and grains per cob (66.1%). Most of the crosses exhibited very high values of heterosis and heterobeltiosis and ranged from -0.01 to 37.3 % percent for grain yield. The F1 hybrids, L1×T1, L1×T2, L1×T3, L2×T2, L4×T1, L4×T2, L5×T1, L5×T2, L5×T3, L2×T3, L3×T3, and L5×T3 were shown to be the best with very good heterosis and heterobeltiosis values for most of the grain yield-related traits. Heterosis and heritability analysis indicated that these doubled
haploid lines evolved from a very narrow genetic source (single cross F1 hybrid) showed a great potential toward improvement in grain yield and its related traits. It is recommended that instead of crossing them with low yielding open-pollinated varieties as testers these lines must be crossed in diallel mating designfor further revealing their potential toward grain yield and its related traits.