Department of Plant Breeding, H. P. Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176062.
In a 7-parent diallel of drought tolerant and susceptible inbreds of maize raised under rainfed conditions over two years, only gca variance was significant for chlorophyll content, only sca for pollen shed period and for other traits both gca and sca variances were significant. The sca variances were predominant for grain yield/plant and stomata number/mm2 of leaf area, whereas gca variances were predominant for germination leaf area/plant, root length, root weight and root number. The inbreds H-98, CM-205, V55-B and the crosses, V50-B x CM-205, V20-B x V50-B, V57-B x A-654 and V20-B X V57-B, were identified as the best inbreds and crosses, respectively, for grain yield and drought tolerant characters.
Zea mays, diallel cross, drought tolerance, combining ability
