IRRIGATION X SINGLE CROSS MAIZE (Zea mays L.) HYBRID INTERACTION

Abstract

Ten genetically diverse hybrid maize varieties were tested under three different irrigation conditions which were Irrigation-1 (45days), Irrigation-2(6Sdays) and Irrigation-3(78days) at the experimental plot of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, during the Rabi season of 2009 to study irrigation x single cross maize hybrids interaction. A larger variation in plant characters and yield performance among the hybrids was noticed. Intercultural operations and application of pesticides were carried out as and when necessary. Yield and other ten yield contributing characters viz. days to flowering of male, days to flowering of female, days to maturity, ear length, cob length, plant height, ear length, cob length, cob diameter, 1000-grain weight and number of grain per cob were estimated. The hybrid G6 (Bijoy) produced maximum grain yield per plant (244.82) while the hybrid G1 (Durga) was the minimum in this respect having minimum grain yield per plant (187.33g). This indicated the existence of much influence of environment on the expressivity of the character. The selected characters were under additive genetic fashion but environment played an important role to express each of the characters. The strong and positive correlation coefficient (0.657**) was computed between 1000-grain weight and distance between tassel and cob. Analysis of variance revealed significant effect of the irrigation over the characters studied. Phenotypic index, regression coefficient and deviation from regression coefficient were the fundamental clues of G X E interaction. After furnishing the results the genotype G, (Bijoy) found to be the suitable and the irrigation — 3 was the most favorable for the characters. The maize seed yield was high (244.8g) in Bijoy variety across the three irrigations.