UTILIZATION OF LINE x TESTER ANALYSIS FOR ESTIMATING COMBINING ABILITY FOR SOME NEW YELLOW MAIZE INBRED LINES

In 2018 summer season at Gemmeiza Research Station, eleven new yellow inbred lines were crossed with three testers: two inbred lines Gz.658 and Gm.6052) and one single cross SC 162 according to line x tester design. In 2019 summer season the resulting, 33 crosses and four check hybrids: two single crosses (SC 168 and SC 3084) and two three way crosses (TWC 360 and TWC 368) were evaluated at both of Gemmeiza and Sids experimental Research Stations. Significant and highly significant mean squares due to crosses and the partitions lines, testers and lines x testers were obtained for all studied traits across locations, except testers for grain yield. K2 SCA (non- additive gene effects) were more important than K2 GCA (additive gene effects) for all traits Gm.2, Gm.6, Gm.9 and Gm.35 had desirable values for GCA effects for grain yield. The best cross for SCA effects was Gm. 9 × SC. 162 for grain yield. Five single crosses, (Gm. 2 × Gz 658 (28.956 ard /fed), Gm. 35 × Gz 658 (27.777 ard /fed), Gm. 2 × Gm. 6052 (27.566 ard /fed), Gm. 6 x Gm. 6052 (28.157 ard /fed) and Gm. 35 × Gm. 6052 (28.123 ard /fed) did not significantly out-yielded the highest check SC 168 (27.190 ard/fed), while three- way cross Gm. 9 × SC. 162 (29.74 ard/fed) significantly out-yielded the best check TWC 360 (26.42 ard/fed)