VALUATION OF GENETICAL PURITY, GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE (Zea mays)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the period from November 2019 to April 2020 in the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh to evaluate the genetic purity, growth and yield performance of maize (Zea mays). The experiment comprised of single factor with 10 maize genotypes. Among the maize genotypes, there were five (5) maize varieties and five (5) maize lines. The varieties were namely SAU hybrid 1, SAU hybrid 2, ARIZE, ARIZE SUPER and Kaveri 50. The advance lines were namely SAU Test Cross 1, SAU Test Cross 2, SAU Test Cross 3, SAU Test Cross 4 and SAU Test Cross 5. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with three replications. Different hybrids maize varieties and maize lines showed significant effect on growth, yield and yield contributing characters except cob circumference. SAU hybrid 1 took the maximum days (6.00 days) for 80% germination whereas, the minimum days (3.00 days) was taken by SAU Test Cross 2. SAU Test Cross 5 took the highest days (102.67 days) for 80% flowering and the minimum days (92.00 days) was taken by SAU Test Cross 2. SAU Test Cross 5 took the maximum days (104.67 days) for 80% cob formation whereas, the minimum days (95.00 days) was taken by SAU Test Cross 2. SAU Test Cross 1 showed the tallest plant (249.90, 255.50 and 255.70 cm at 110, 125 and 140 DAS, respectively). SAU hybrid 1 showed the highest cob height from surface (133.03 cm). SAU hybrid 1 showed the highest genetic purity (100.00%); whereas SAU Test Cross 2 showed the lowest genetic purity (97.22%). SAU Test Cross 1 showed the maximum cob weight (208.83 g), husk weight (26.39 g), full cob weight (235.22 g), cob length (23.97 cm) and rachis weight (30.11 g), stover yield (13.00 t ha −1 ) and biological yield (25.92 t ha

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−1 ). The highest shelling (78.53%) was recorded from Kaveri 50 variety. SAU hybrid 2 maize variety showed the maximum no. of rows cob −1 (18.00), 100 grains weight (28.44 g) and grain yield (13.18 t ha ) whereas, SAU Test Cross 2 maize line showed the maximum harvest index (51.40%).From the study it was found thatSAU hybrid 1 and SAU hybrid 2 was genetically the most pure variety.In case of yieldmaize variety SAU hybrid 2 performed better than most of the other varieties, which was followed by maize line SAU Test Cross 1.