Suhana, O.1*, Rosnani, A. G.2 and Marton, J. 3
Abstract
The increasing global demand for maize, coupled with the challenges of climate change, necessitates the improvement of maize yields. The main objective of this study was to assess genetic variability and heterosis in different types of maize hybrids; single-cross (SC), double-cross (DC) and three-way cross (TC) to identify promising genotypes for yield improvement. Conducted at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), he study evaluated 16 genotypes, including parental lines and commercial check hybrids, during the 2022 spring growing season (May–November). Genetic coefficient of variation (GCV) and heritability estimates were calculated for traits including plant height, days to 50% flowering, ear length and ear diameter. Results showed low GCV and moderate phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) values for most traits, with the exception of ear weight, which showed high GCV (23.83%, 91.47% and 29.75%) and high PCV (27.85%, 92.18% and 31.33%), indicating substantial genetic variation. Among the genotypes, the SC hybrid V5 demonstrated the highest positive mid-parent heterosis for ear weight and high-parent heterosis for ear diameter. In contrast, TC and DC hybrids exhibited the lowest positive mid-parent and high-parent heterosis for ear length and row number per ear, respectively. Despite these variations, the promising performance of the TC and DC hybrids highlights their potential for future maize breeding programs, offering valuable opportunities to enhance maize productivity under changing environmental conditions.
Keywords: maize, genetic variability, heterosis, yield components