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Heterosis in maize single crosses derived from a yellow Tuxpeño variety in Brazil

Eito Eugenio Gomes e Gama^I; Arnel Roy Hallauer^II; Romario Gava Ferrão^III; Davi Martins Barbosa^I

^INPMS/EMBRAPA, Caixa Postal 151, 35701-970 Sete Lagoas, MG, Brasil
^IIDepartment of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA. Send correspondence to A.R.H.
^IIIEMCAPA, Caixa Postal 62, 29900 Linhares, ES, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Most maize (Zea mays L.) crosses in tropical regions use the heterotic pattern of Tuxpeño dent and Caribbean flint. Crosses between related lines are not used for commercial production. Related inbred lines are used in either double or three-way hybrids with other unrelated lines to develop superior hybrids. This study was conducted to determine the combining ability among 11 related inbred lines from a Tuxpeño population. The 11 inbred lines were crossed in a diallel series and were evaluated at six locations. A combining ability analysis was made for grain yield. The average yield across environments for the 55 single crosses (44.8 q/ha) was not comparable to that of the single-cross hybrid (56.5 q/ha), included as check. General combining ability (GCA) effects and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were highly significant (P < 0.01). Variation due to GCA, however, accounted for 68% of the variation among crosses, indicating that additive genetic effects were more important than nonadditive effects. Highly significantly positive GCA effects were observed for lines 6 (2.44 q/ha) and 7 (6.40 q/ha) and highly significantly negative GCA effects for lines 5 (1.63 q/ha), 10 (2.64 q/ha), and 11(4.01 q/ha). Significantly positive SCA effects were observed with line 4 x line 11, line 5 x line 9, and line 5 x 11 crosses. Lines 6 and 7 may have potential use as parents for three-way or double-cross hybrids.

Keywords: heterosis; yellow Tuxpeño.

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