Vol. 9, Special Issue 8, Part O (2025)

The present study, titled “Assessment of heterosis and combining ability for seed yield and it’s component traits in Maize (Zea mays (L)), was conducted to assess the magnitude of heterosis and evaluate the general and specific combining ability effects for yield and its related traits. Four female lines were crossed with five male lines to produce twenty F₁ hybrids. These hybrids, along with their parents and two standard checks, were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications during Kharif 2024 season at the Experimental Farm, Agricultural Reaserch Station Badnapur. Data were collected for eight traits: days to tasseling, days to silking, days to maturity, plant height (cm), cob length (cm), number of cobs per plant, 100-seed weight (g), and seedyield per plant (g).

The extent of heterosis over both the mid-parent and better parent was notably high for most of the traits examined in the present study. Among all the traits, the highest level of heterosis was observed for the cross PFSR 3 x 115VL-1013592 exhibited a seed yield per plant 221.60% over the better parent, followed by the cross CML 451 x ZL155281, which showed a 25.88% increase 100-seed weight compared to its better parent. The analysis of variance for mean values indicated significant differences across all eight traits studied.