ESTIMATES OF HERITABILITY AND EXPECTED RESPONSE FOR MATURITY AND GRAIN YIELD RELATED TRAITS IN HALF-SIB RECURRENT FAMILIES OF MAIZE

Abstract

Genetic improvement of the segregating populations is an important aspect of the maize breeding programs. This research was undertaken to estimate heritability and expected responses for maturity and grain yield related traits in maize. For this purpose, one hundred and forty-four half-sib families that were derived from Sarhad white maize population were used. These half-sib families were statistically evaluated in a partially balanced 12x12 lattice design. The heritability estimates varied from 0.28 to 0.88 and were high for days to teaseling, days to silking, days to pollen shedding, ear height, kernels row-1, grain yield, medium plant height, 1000 kernel weight and low for kernels ear-1. The genetic and environmental coefficients of variation varied from 1.85 to 16.13 and 1.64 to 13.85, respectively. The index of variation ranged from 0.44 to 1.92 among the traits. Based on the values of the heritability and selection differential the highest expected response was observed for grain yield (900.99 kg ha-1) followed by 1000 kernel weight (2.51g), plant height (3.26 cm) and ear height(2.72cm). These high heritability and high index of variation estimates (I.V >1) for various important traits indicates greater heterogeneity and genotypic differences among the tested half-sib families. We have shown for the first time that this improved recurrent population Sarhad white has the potential to recurrent selection and could be used in future maize breeding programs. Moreover, the improved recurrent population might be used by poor farmers to save production cost and to use the seeds for future farming