COMBINING ABILITY FOR HEAT TOLERANCE TRAITS IN SPRING MAIZE [Zea mays L.)]

摘要

Studies on maize (Zea mays) were undertaken in two spring environments (February:E-1 and March:E-2) to ascertain the genetic architecture of heat tolerance traits and yield parameters from a 12 x 12 diallel analysis. The combining ability analysis revealed that both additive and non additive gene action were involved in the inheritance of all the heat tolerance and yield contributing characters studied in the two environments. Among the parents, 1 137, 1 132 and SE 527 were good general combiners for membrane thermostability and other heat tolerance component traits like leaf firing, proline content and tassel blast in both E-1 and E-2. SE 527 was good general combiner for yield also in both the environments. Two hybrids showed significant sca effects for membrane thermostability and other components of heat tolerance and yield attributes in both the environments and could be exploited for spring cultivation in Punjab conditions.