T. NADEEM, I.H. KHALIL, IKRAMULLAH, and S.A. JADOON
SUMMARY
The genotype and environment interaction (GEI) has always been a challenge as these are the main concerns of breeders during the selection of suitable parents for breeding programs. Very little information is available regarding the implication and importance of significant GE interaction, its source, and nature in plant breeding programs and on the net yield and resultant varieties. The study aimed to investigate the gene action and assess the performance of half-diallel populations using eight advanced sweet corn inbred lines for yield-related traits across two environmental conditions, i.e., Nowshera plain and Swat hilly areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Statistical analyses revealed significant variations among sweet corn genotypes for the studied traits from both locations. Hayman’s graphical analysis deduced that majority of traits like grains cob-1, 100-kernel weight, stover yield, and sweet corn grain yield showed over-dominance sort of inheritance at both Nowshera and Swat locations. The additive components were not more in magnitude than the dominance components at both the locations, however, these were lower than their counterparts’ (H1 and H2) components signifying the major function of a dominant gene action. The dominance effect was unidirectional for all the traits in the sub-tropical plain area, as well as, the temperate hilly area. Asymmetrical gene allocation was found due to their values being lower than 0.25 at both test locations. Broad-sense heritability was higher for most of the traits at both locations except for grains cob-1 and stover yield at Nowshera. It can be incidental that due to the dominant gene action and the least amount of narrow-sense heritability for most of the sweet corn yield-related traits, high yielding hybrids could be utilized for heterotic breeding.
Date published: June 2022
Keywords: Sweet corn, additive-dominance model, genetic analysis, Hayman’s half-diallel approach, heritability, gene action
DOI: http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2022.54.2.3