Estimation of combining ability and gene action in selected maize (Zea mays L.) lines

Abstract

Mosavat, S. A., H. Mazahery-Laghab, H. Soltanloo, and R. Choukan. 2019. Estimated combining ability and gene action in selected maize (Zea mays L.) lines. Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences. 21(1): 1-15. (In Persian). Maize is one of the most important grain and forage crop, that has a unique role in the food and feed industry, especially poultry feed. To estimate combinig ability and gene action and to identify the best hybrid combination for different morphological traits, experiments were designed and carried out as diallel crossing with 10 parents at Gorgan Agricultural Research Station, Gorgan, Iran, in 2013. The progenies were grown in randomized complete block design with three replications in two locations including; Araghi-Mahaleh in Gorganand Gonbad Agricultural Research Stations in Gonbad, Iran, in 2014. Data for days from emergence to silking, days from silking to physiological maturity, number of row.ear-1, grain yield, plant height and number of grain.ear-1, were measured and recorded. Analysis of variance was performed separately for each location, and then combined analysis of variance was also performed. The effects of general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant on most traits, which implied that both additive and non-additive actions were involved in controlling these traits. The dominance degree was greater than one also indicated that the overdominance of genes action in controlling the studied traits.For all studied traits, low narrow sense heritability and a greater dominance variance indicated that dominance actions was more important in genetic control of these traits. Therefore, to improve traits such as days from silking to physiological maturity and number of row.ear-1 selection would not be efficient, and hybridization methods should be used for development and improvement of