Relationship between genetic distance, specific combining abilities and heterosis in maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Six maize inbred lines for which we assumed that have a similar genetic background were selected for the study. Inbred lines were crossed according to incomplete diallel design and fifteen hybrid combinations were obtained. Hybrid combinations and their parental lines were used in our study. The objective of the study was to examine genetic polymorphism of parental lines, as well as to determine relationships between SSR genetic distance and values of high parent heterosis and specific combining abilities for grain yield. By using 19 SSR primers we classified inbred lines in two groups. First cluster consists of inbred lines L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, while inbred line L6 formed second cluster, indicating different heterotic background in comparison to the other five inbred lines. The Spearman's correlation coefficients between SSR based genetic distance and specific combining abilities for grain yield had a value of (r=0,53*), while positive correlation were also found between genetic distance and high parent heterosis (r=0,57*).