Breeding For Specialty Traits Related To Babycorn Features In Maize Zea Mays L

Abstract

The main objective of the present study was to establish heterotic populations newlineand develop potential inbred lines and hybrids for babycorn features by deploying newlinereciprocal recurrent selection method. With the help of half diallel of 66 single crosses newlineand line × tester study of 48 three-way crosses, two opposite F1`s viz., PDM 53 × PDM newline4441 (Population A) and HKI 1105 × HKI 323 (Population B) were identified as base newlinepopulations and advanced to F3. Twenty five F3 lines from Population A and 26 F3 lines newlinefrom Population B were crossed reciprocally to constituent parents of their opposite F1`s newlinerespectively. Additionally, these F3 lines were crossed commonly to diverse tester PDM newline260-1. newlineDerived F3 lines viz., P27, P10 and P17 of Population A; H94, H99 and H8 of newlinePopulation B were found to be best combiners for babycorn yield. These elite newlinecombiners of Population A can be further subjected to recombination through half newlinediallel to identify potential crosses. The best combination among diallel crosses can be newlineused to develop improved Population A and stable inbred lines can be developed within newlinePopulation A with good combining ability against the inbred lines in Population B newlinethrough similar kind of recombination breeding. In this fashion, the elite combiner lines newlinefrom opposite populations can be intermated to develop new heterotic groups in newlinebabycorn. newlinePotential derived hybrids of Population A viz., P27 × HKI 1105, P36 × HKI 323 newlineand P40 × HKI 323; likewise in case of Population B viz., H61 × PDM 53, H94 × PDM newline4441, H99 × PDM 260-1, H20 × PDM 4441 and H29 × PDM 4441 were significantly newlinesuperior than the best check CPB 468 for babycorn yield. Hence, these hybrids can be newlinepromoted for multi location trials to test their yield stability across different newlineenvironments. newline