Screening of some maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds for conversion to quality protein maize lines

Twelve inbred lines of maize were crossed with three inbred testers of wider adaptability for assessing their suitability to use as base material for QPM conversion by estimating their combining ability, heterotic pattern and reaction to diseases. Five lines viz. V348, V356, V360, KI-16 and KI-18 were found to be good general combiners and were also superior in per se performance for grain yield and its component traits. Among the crosses KI-16 x CM200 performed best on the basis of high sca effects, economic heterosis and per se performance for grain yield and was also desirable for cob placement height, cob length, grains per cob and harvest index. Crosses V13 x CM212, V24 xCM200, V24 x CM212, V340 x CM200 and KI-24 x CM126 showed resistant reaction to bacterial stalk rot while crosses V348 xCM126, V354 x CM212, V356 x CM200, V356x CM212 and KI-24 x CM200 showed resistant reaction to banded leaf and sheath blight.