gene action and combining analysis for kernel yield and its attributing traits in maize [zea mays (l.)]

Eight maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes were crossed in a half diallel mating design.The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that mean sum of squares due to general combining ability were found   significant for all the traits except cob girth, whereas, the specific combining ability effects were found highly significant for all the characters except anthesis-silking interval. The low ratio (<1.0) of GCA to SCA variance for sixteen traits indicated that non-additive type of gene action was predominant in the expression of yield and component traits. Based on estimates of general combining ability effects revealed that four parents BLD-11 (5.19), CML-338 (4.28), VL-1032 (1.68) and VL-109178 (1.25) were found good general combiners because they registered significant and positive gca effects. The estimates of sca effects revealed that 23 hybrids were exhibited significant positive sca effects. The spectrum of differences in sca effects for this trait ranged from -2.70 (CBE-98 × CML-338) to 27.57 (CBE-98 × MRCN-3) and the top most three  hybrids for kernel yield per plant on the basis of specific combining ability effects were CBE-98 × MRCN-3 (27.57), CBE-98 × BLD-11 (23.16) and CBE-26 × BLD-11 (21.20).