T Evaluation of genes effect and combining ability in selected maize (Zea mays L.) lines

Maize is one of the most important grain and forage plants that has a unique role in the food and feed, especially poultry feed. To study the genetic effects, genes act and identify the best hybrid combination for morphological traits, experiment was carried out in diallel cross layout using 19 parents at Gorgan Agricultural Research Station, Iran in 2013. The progenies were planted in three replications at two locations; Gorgan- Araghi-Mahaleh and Gonbad Agricultural Research Stations, Iran in 2014. The datas for days from emergence to silking, days from silking to physiological maturity, number of row.ear-1, grain yield, plant height and number of grain.ear-1, analysis of variance performed in each location separately and then combined analysis was performed. The significant General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combining Ability (SCA) for most plant traits showed that both additive and non-additive effects were involved in controlling traits and dominance degree greater than one also indicated the over-dominance of genes in controlling these traits. For all plant traits, low narrow sense heritability and a greater amount of dominance of variance indicated that dominance effects were more important in genetic control of plant traits. Result showed that, to improve the traits such as days from silking to physiological maturity and number of row.ear-1, selection cannot be taken and hybridization based criterias seems to be more beneficial.