Study of genetic architecture through haymen's graphical approach for quantitative and qualitative traits in quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) over environments

Kernel yield is a very complex trait in maize which results from the interaction of various yield contributing characters and it is highly influenced by environmental variation. Therefore, phenotypic selection cannot directly improve the characters in highly cross pollinated crops like maize unless dissected by genetic analysis. The present investigation was carried out for gene action of various quantitative and qualitative traits in a complete set of 10 × 10 half diallel mating designed involving ten elite inbred lines. The results of Variance/Co-variance graphs revealed that preponderance of over dominance type of gene action for days to 50% tasselling, days to 50% silking, ear height, kernel rows per ear, 100 kernel weight, kernel yield per plant, shelling percentage and lysine content. Distribution of array points depicted that parents GWQPM 55-2 had the maximum dominant genes while GWQPM 46-2 and GWQPM 26-3 possessed maximum recessive genes for most of the character.