Evaluation of Maize (Zea mays L.) Half Sib Recurrent Families for Expected Response and Percent Gain Per Cycle

Abstract

Recurrent Selection (RS) or reselection generation after generation is a vital selection scheme for improving the physio-morphic traits and grain yield in maize populations. The objective of the present research was to determine the response of recurrent selection in CIMMYT maize population CZP-132011 for physio-morphic traits and to estimate selection differential, heritability, expected response and percent gain cycle^-1 among the half sib recurrent families for morphological traits and grain yield.  Sixty four half sib recurrent families were evaluated in 8×8 lattice square design with two replications at Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI), Pirsabak during 2017. Results showed highly significant differences among the half sib families for all the studied traits. Selection differential values were negative for days to tasseling (-3.00), anthesis (-3.08), silking (-3.10), anthesis silking interval (-1.14), plant height (-5.07) and ear height (-7.73). High heritability values (h² ˃ 0.60) were recorded for all traits except plant height (0.55) which exhibited moderate heritability. Based on broad sense heritability and selection differential, expected response were observed negative for days to tasseling (-2.39), anthesis (-2.56), silking (-2.64), anthesis silking interval (-0.79), plant height (-2.81) and ear height (-5.22). After one cycle of recurrent selection using half sib families, the gain cycle^-1 values were negative for (-0.39), anthesis (-0.47), silking (-1.44), anthesis silking interval (-3.17), plant height (-2.34) and ear height (-4.90). Based on the findings of current research it could be concluded that recurrent selection method was found effective in improving the CIMMYT maize source population CZP-132011 for physio-morphic traits.