Diverse Parents Revealed Heterotic Combination in Maize (Zea mays L.) for Yield and its Contributing Traits

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the late kharif season (September to December), 2025 at the Main Maize Research Station, Godhra, Gujarat, India to evaluate the performance and heterosis of maize hybrids. The experimental material comprised six lines and six testers, which were crossed in a Line×Tester mating design to produce thirty-six hybrids. These hybrids, along with their twelve parents and a standard check hybrid GAYMH 3, were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RBD) with three replications under field conditions at the same location. Observations were recorded for fourteen characters, including yield and quality traits. The analysis of variance indicated highly significant differences among genotypes for all traits, revealing considerable genetic variability. Among the hybrids, IL-17-39×IL-14-34, IL-17-77×IL-17-55 and IL-14-24×IL-15-19 exhibited the highest standard heterosis and heterobeltiosis for kernel yield, along with superior performance in cob girth, cob length, cob weight, shelling percentage, 100-kernel weight and protein content. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Euclidean distance and Ward’s D2 method showed that the parents of these crosses belonged to genetically diverse clusters, confirming that greater genetic divergence enhances heterosis through effective genetic complementation. Overall, the lines IL-17-39, IL-17-77 and IL-14-24, and testers IL-14-34, IL-17-55 and IL-15-19, along with the identified hybrids, demonstrated promising yield potential. Further studies are needed to evaluate their stability and adaptability across different environments.