HETEROSIS IN RELATION TO COMBINING ABILITY IN QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.)

Thirty nine experimental hybrids were evaluated along with thirteen advance inbred parental lines and three testers in quality protein maize during Kharif 2008. Analysis of variance revealed significant deference among the parents and experimental hybrids for all the character studied. Mean square due to parents vs hybrids were also observed significant for all the traits. The inbreds HKI-164-3(2-1), CML 451 (P2) and HUZQPM-1 were good general combiner for yield and many of the yield attributing traits. Taking in to consideration of the per se performance, sca effect and standard heterosis, the HKI-164-3 (2-1) X CML-169-5-4 was the best QPM hybrid yielding 35 per cent more grain yield per plot followed by CML451 (P2) X CML – 169-5-4 (29%) over the superior check single cross hybrid Shaktiman-2. Crosses between high X high and high X low gca parents exhibited greater heterosis. Heterosis for yield was generally accompanied by heterosis for yield components.