Limited arable and productive soil is the primary hindrance to increasing maize production, requiring appropriate selection of genotypes and planting density combinations. The present study aimed to evaluate maize hybrids’ responses under normal and high planting densities, genetic parameters, and trait correlations, as well as identify the adaptive hybrids. The two separate experiments comprised normal (53.333 plants ha⁻¹) and high (83.333 plants ha⁻¹) planting densities, carried out during 2023–2024. Each experiment layout was in an augmented randomized complete block design, involving 23 maize genotypes comprising 19 hybrids and four check cultivars replicated three times. The results showed the high planting density produced 1.46 t ha-1 higher yield than the normal planting density, with G8 and G4 as the high-yielding candidate hybrids across both densities. Leaf angle and grain yield exhibited the highest genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation and broad-sense heritability. Anthesis-silking interval, leaf angle, and shelling percentage showed significant correlations with grain yield under normal planting density. The MGIDI (multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index) selected hybrids G4, G8, and G15 under normal planting density; G11, G2, and G9 under high planting density; and G20 and G23 under both densities. Identifying maize hybrids suitable for higher planting densities may support breeding efforts to develop efficient and high-yielding genotypes.
Maize hybrids, genetic parameters, correlation, MGIDI, adaptability, planting density
Maize (Z. mays L.) traits, such as anthesis-silking interval, leaf angle, and shelling percentage, showed a significant correlation with grain yield under normal planting density. MGIDI-based multivariate selection identified five maize hybrids as potential candidates for improving productivity under normal and high planting densities.