GENETIC ANALYSIS OF OIL CONTENT AND SOME AGRONOMIC TRAITS IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF OIL CONTENT AND SOME AGRONOMIC TRAITS IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine the mode of gene action that controls percent oil, to estimate correlation coefficient between oil content with agronomic traits, to determine direct and indirect relationships between oil and agronomic traits and to estimate heterosis for oil content. Sweet corn white and sweet corn yellow were used as high oil male parents, which were crossed to ten low oil maize varieties (Oba Super 2, SDM2, Sammaz 13, Sammaz 36, Sammaz 29, Sammaz 27, Sammaz 20, Ex Yola Dt, Sammaz 18 and Sammaz 37). North Carolina Design II mating design was used to develop progenies. Evaluation was carried out at two locations, Samaru and Kadawa. Result for males and females sources of variation for Samaru indicated no significant differences for percent oil while male x female sources of variation indicated significant difference for percent oil. Result for Kadawa indicated that males, females and males x females’ source of variation were not significant for oil content. For the combined locations, males, females and males x females’ source of variation indicated no significant differences for percent oil. The males x location, females x location and males x females x location sources of variation indicated no significant difference for percent oil. Broad sense heritability for oil content at Kadawa indicated low estimate of 0.3214, which indicates possibility of low genetic advance. Narrow sense heritability estimates was high at Samare but for Kadawa and across locations the estimates were low for oil content. Negative mid and high parent heterosis was observed for oil content at both and for across locations, this indicated that the genes for oil content are not contributing positively for oil content. Results at Samaru indicated no significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations between oil content with all the traits, but results for Kadawa indicated significant genotypic correlations between oil content with number of kernel rows and significant phenotypic correlations between oil content with ear height, number of leaves per plant and number of kernel rows. For the combined locations, positive significant phenotypic correlation between oil content with number of kernels rows was observed. Path analysis result for Samaru indicated that plant height had positive significant direct effect to oil content. From Kadawa the result indicated 100 grain weight, ear height, and numbers of kernel rows exert positive direct effects toward oil content. For combined locations, grain yield indicated positive direct effect toward oil content. From this results the most suitable breeding methodology for breeding high oil Maize are recurrent selection or use of inbred lines, because heterosis is easily obtained from inbred lines crosses.

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF OIL CONTENT AND SOME AGRONOMIC TRAITS IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)