Abstract

Nawaz Hussain,Haider Bhutto Rehman and Khan Faizal

Ten maize hybrids were evaluated at Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab Farm, Peshawar with the aim to estimate variation among maize hybrids during spring season 2010. Randomized complete block design with 3 replications was used for hybrids evaluation. Data were recorded on days to 50% pollen shedding, days to 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, plant height, ear height, number of cobs ha-1 and grain yield. The analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among the maize hybrids for above mentioned traits. Maize hybrid population 2006 × (WD-3×6) took minimum days to pollen shedding (85.0 days) and silking (86.0 days) with desirable anthesis-silking interval of 1.0 day. The same hybrid was also short statured (155.5 cm plant height) with the desirable ear height of 75.0 cm. However, the maximum grain yield of 9.3 t ha-1 was produced by maize hybrid Guard BC followed by Pioneer hybrid (8.8t ha-1 ) and NT-6621 (8.7 t ha-1 ). Days to pollen shedding exhibited significantly positive genotypic correlation with days to silking (rG = 0.97, P = 0.01), and anthesis-silking interval (rG = 0.82, P = 0.01). Days to pollen shedding showed significantly positive phenotypic correlation with days to silking (rp = 0.92, P = 0.01), ASI (rp = 0.61, P = 0.01) and plant height (rp = 0.36, P = 0.05). Days to silking exhibited significantly positive genotypic and phenotypic correlation with anthesis-silking interval (rG = 0.94, P = 0.01 and (rp = 0.87, P = 0.01), Days to silking showed significantly positive phenotypic correlation with plant height (rp = 0.37, P = 0.05). Plant height exhibited significantly positive genotypic correlation with ear height (rG = 0.96, P = 0.01). Further evaluation at several locations of the province both in spring and kharif seasons is needed to identify desirable hybrids with specific adaptation.