DIALLEL ANALYSIS OF RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM EAR ROT (Fusarium verticillioides) IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the dry season of 2018 at Lushi irrigation station Bauchi and was evaluated at Bauchi and Yola during the rainy season of 2019 to determine the diallel analysis of resistance to fusarium ear rot in maize. Six maize inbred lines resistant to the disease and a farmers’ variety (local variety) X- lawanti susceptible to fusarium ear rot were crossed. A nursery trial for the formation of an initial f₁ breeding population using full diallel mating design was carried out at Lushi Irrigation Station Bauchi. Six parents and their resultant 36 F₁ were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications at Bauchi and Yola. The results of the study revealed a Significant difference among the genotypes studied. The combining ability analysis revealed significant difference in all the traits except number of leaves per plant, cob length, number of husks and silks per ear, DS 4%, DS 5% and hundred grain weight. The findings also indicated that both additive and non-additive gene actions in maize were important in controlling grain yield and other agronomic traits. For most traits genotypes SMLW 28X SMLW 183, SMLW 51 X LV and LV X SMLW 28 been identified as good general combiners while SMLW 28 X SMLW 20 AND SMLW 183 X LV was identified as good specific general combiners for kernel yield. Parents SMLW 51, SMLW 21, SMLW 58 and SMLW 183 were found to be resistant to fusarium ear rot across locations for all traits except number of leaves per plant, number of silks per ear DS 0%, DS2% and 100 grain weight.