GENETIC COMPONENTS UNDER THE NORTH CAROLINA DESIGN II IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.) IN SOUTHERN SONORA, MEXICO

Abstract

Mexico is facing a maize (Zea mays L.) production deficit despite producing 27 million tons annually. The objectives of this research were to estimate and quantify the genetic action involved in maize crosses; and to determine the general and specific combining ability as well as the genetic components to select experimental hybrids with high grain yield in southern Sonora. The hybrids were evaluated in a randomized complete block experimental design with three replicates during the 2020/2021 spring-summer cycle. The genetic analysis was performed using the North Carolina Design II mating design. The results indicated that the female inbreds CML-264 and CML-500; and the males CML-500 and CML-542 obtained the highest average values for all the variables under study. However, the female lines CML-494, CML-545 and CML-264, and the males CML-550 and CML 542 presented a greater general combining ability effect. In particular, the hybrids CML-264xCML-550, CML-264xCML-555, and CML-494xCML-550 were late to flowering and medium-sized, recording higher yield, weight of thousand grains, hectoliter weight and flotation index as well as the highest positive specific combining ability effects. The hybrid CML-545xCML-542 showed early flowering, obtaining acceptable yields in intermediate average values. Regarding genetic components, the variances of females, dominance, additive genetic and heritability had a greater influence on all the variables studied.