Evaluation of White Grain Experimental Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids for Yield and Yield Related Traits

A field study was conducted at the Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) Pir Sabaq Nowshera, Pakistan, during the cropping seasons ‘Spring-2014’ and ‘Kharif-2015’ to develop cost effective maize hybrids. Nine white grain experimental maize hybrids developed at CCRI along with commercial hybrid 'P-30k08' of Pioneer and cultivar 'Jalal' were evaluated for agronomic yield traits. A randomized complete block design was applied using three replications. Significant differences were observed among genotypes for pollen shedding (PS), silk emergence (SE), plant height (PH), cob diameter (CD), 100-kernal weight (100-KW) and grain yield (GY). The two cropping seasons (S) ‘Kharif-2015’ and ‘Spring-2014’ were also found significant (P≤0.05) for PS, SE, PH, EH, no. of plants (NP), ear length (EL), no. of grains (NG), 100-KW, cob weight (CW) and GY. Genotype by season interaction (G×S) was significant (P≤0.05) for PS, SE, PH, 100-KW and GY only. Pool data from two cropping seasons suggested that genotypes CHT4 and CHT5 has better agronomic and yield (CW, 100-KW, GY) traits as compared to check ‘Jalal’ and ‘P-30K08’. Grain yield ranged from 7.9 to 11. 2 tonnes ha^-1 where almost all of the candidate hybrids yielded more than the check hybrid ‘P-30K08’ (8.3) except CHT8. Considering the entire traits, white grain candidate hybrid CHT4 and CHT5 has the potential to be released as cost effective, high yielding hybrids for the farming community of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Thus it is suggested that the hybrids developed locally with intensive care might reduce the dependency of farmers on costly hybrids of multi-national companies