Combining ability and heterotic value of ten lines maize genotypes tolerant to tidal-swamp soil stress

Abstract

Development of maize hybrid for tidal swampland was initiated by selecting and combinate some superior line genotypes that tolerate to the restrictions in target environment. This study aimed was to evaluate the capability of ten maize lines result of selection on tidal swamp acid sulphate soils to obtain GCU, GCA, and heterosis values based on parental yield averages. The experiment has consisted of ten fine line genotypes which have selected in 2019 at the tidal swamp. Each parent was crossed in half-diallel combination, resulting in 46 entries, including the inbred parents. The entries were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The research was conducted on Bajeng Research Station Experiment 5°18'S and 119°30'E from September 2020 to January 2021. The result shows that GCA ability and SCA ability was significant to yield in the form of grain (15% moisture content), the number of ear per plot, ten ear weight, ten corncob weight, ear harvested weight, 1000 seeds weight, plant height, ear length and the number of seed per ear. Grain yield of W6xW9 crosses obtains the highest value of 9.36 tha-1, non-significantly different to hybrid check P35 (9.35 tha-1). The highest GCA value in the grain yield character was obtained on W9 parental line (0.64∗∗). The highest SCA was obtained on the crossing of W7 x W8 (2.61). The highest heterosis value was revealed in W5 x W10 hybrid (4.80). However, W7 x W8 crossing heterosis value was 2.34, indicate that a high SCA effect did not usually generate high heterosis. To perform high heterosis value, W10 was good as female parental.