Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Guang-Jauh Shieh

Abstract:

    This experiment was conducted for the purpose of investigating the quantitative inheritance of yield and other agronomic characters of purple-glutinous maize.  A half set of diallel cross combined from eleven maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines derived from different purple-waxy populations were used to investigate inheritance of yield and other agronomic characters for 11 × 11 diallel set.  The investigated data were analyzed by means of Griffing's and Hayman's diallel analysis methods.  Characters under analysis included days to tasseling, days to silking, plant height, ear height, ear fresh weight, ear length, ear diameter, and kernel number per ear, etc.  The Griffing’s combining ability analysis results indicated the additive gene effect and non-additive gene effects (dominance effect) were significantly for all the agronomic characters.  Additive effect larger than dominance effects in was observed all of the agronomic characters.  The inbred lines, E14, J16, N4, K1-1, and P12-1 had the positive general combining ability in the ear fresh weight, ear length, and ear diameter, and that can be used in hybrid breeding program in future.  The hybrid crosses, D1 × N4, E14 × J16, E14 × N4, H2 × N4, H2 × K1-1, J16 × N4, J16 × K1-1, J16 × O2, J16 × P12-1, and N4 × K1-1 had larger average values, and positive specific combining ability in the ear fresh weight.  The h²/H₂ value of ear fresh weight was 5.79 indicating the traits was controlled by about 6 gene groups, and those dominant genes generally acted toward increasing the value.

Key words:Purple-glutinous maize, Combining ability, Ear fresh weight

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