AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE HYBRIDS DERIVED FROM DOUBLED HAPLOID LINES COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDS

– The objective of this work was to use the partial diallel methodology to compare double-haploid lines (DHs) of maize with lines obtained by traditional methods. To obtain hybrids, five double-haploid lines, used as female parents, were crossed with four testers, as male parents. Twenty hybrids were obtained from double-haploid lines, being: 8 experimental, and 8 commercial from Embrapa and 4 from other companies. Were evaluated; final stand (ST), tipping and breaking (LODG), plant height (PH), ear insertion height (EH), grain moisture at harvest (GM) and total grain weight (YIELD). Analysis of variance was performed, unfolding the degrees of freedom of the genotype, Tukey test at 5% probability, and the decomposition of the sums of squares of the treatments into general and specific combining ability for testers and DH lines. PH and EH were higher in hybrids derived from DHs lines, while productivity and final stand were higher in experimental controls. However, some hybrids, such as the hybrid DH1800007 presented higher YIELD than commercial and experimental controls. The data obtained demonstrate that hybrids derived from double-haploid lines, in addition to accelerating the time to obtain new cultivars, enable the development of hybrids with superior agronomic performance.