1Department of Millets, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
2Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
A study was undertaken to estimate the heterotic and heterobeltiotic effects in maize during 2009–2010 at Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu to identify combinations expressing high hybrid vigour for physiological and quality parameters. The analysis of variance revealed that meansquares due to progenies and parents were highly significant for all the traits. The hybrids QPM-12 X Co (BC) 1, QPM-14 X Co (BC) 1, QPM-13 X Co (BC) 1 and QPM-18 X S.C.B. 7853-1 exhibited significant high heterosis and heterobeltiosis for physiological traits like chlorophyll content, relative water content, proline content and nitrate reductase activity. For protein content, the hybrids QPM-18 X S.C.B. 7853-1 and QPM-14 X S.C.B. 7853-1 exhibited significant high heterosis and heterobeltiosis. Likewise, the hybrids QPM-12 X S.C.B. 7853-1 and QPM-14 X S.C.B.1457-6 recorded high heterosis and heterobeltiosis for total sugar content. Thus these crosses possess high heterosis which can be exploited commercially for drought resistant and quality improvement in maize.
Maize, heterosis, heterobeltiosis, chlorophyll content, protein content
