Performance of grain maize varietal crosses and their uses in varietal improvement

A. H. Abdul Wahab

Abstract

Six grain maize varieties with greatest potential in Malaysia were used as the parents in a diallel hybridisation scheme. These parental varieties and the diallel crosses obtained (excluding reciprocal crosses) were analysed for yield heterosis. On the average, the parents were higher yielding than the hybrids. Nakhorn Suwan 1 and Pop. 28 were the highest yielding parental varieties. Only two of the 15 varietal crosses showed positive high-parent heterosis. The combinations Bertam 8805 x Suwan 3 and Bertam 8701 x Suwan 3 are potential materials for initiating hybrid work. The analyses of combining ability indicate that Nakhorn Suwan 1 and Bertam 8805 were the best general combiners for yield and other growth characters; they could be used to develop composite varieties. For specific combining ability, the best crosses for yield were Bertam 8701 x Suwan 3, Bertam 8602 x Pop. 28 and Bertam 8701 x Nakhorn Suwan 1. Potential inbreds could, therefore, be developed from the parents of these crosses to develop hybrid varieties.

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