P.V. MADHUSUDHAN*, M. SHANTHI PRIYA, I. SUDHIR KUMAR AND N.V. SARALA

Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517 502.

ABSTRACT

Combining ability for yield and yield attributing traits was studied in 60 crosses made by using Line × Tester mating design involving 30 lines and 2 testers which were evaluated along with the four checks, namely BIO9544, DKC9127, P3396, and P3546. The purpose of the study was to identify and select superior parents and best crosses combinations on the basis of general and specific combining abilities. The general combining ability effects revealed that among lines PI 21, PI 334, PI 2, UMI 1200, PI 5, PI 1, PI 8, P1 19 where as in testers LM 13 are the good combiners for grain yield plant-1 which can be used in development of superior crosses. Among the crosses PI 21 × LM 13, PI 1 × LM 13 and PI 18 × LM 13 are identified as superior crosses for grain yield plant-1.

KEYWORDS: Maize, combining ability, grain yield plant-1.