Performance evaluation of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) in Burkina Faso, sub-Saharan region of Africa

Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) is a staple food for many people in Burkina Faso. The cultivation of maize hybrid genotypes plays a crucial role in increasing maize production and productivity. Feeding the growing population of the country, expected to reach thirty million by 2035, using hybrid genotypes of maize is a challenge. The objective of this study was to identify the hybrid maize genotypes having a best adaptability in the agro-ecological context of Burkina Faso. Nine (09) hybrid maize genotypes were evaluated during the 2018/2019 cropping season, in nine locations of the country characterized by a rainfall varying between 800 and 1200 mm. The experimental design was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that grain yield of the hybrids varied depending on the genotype nature and the cropping environment. The use of hybrid maize significantly increased the grain yield per hectare in maize production. Among the tested hybrid maize genotypes, SD1 (9.054 tons ha^-1), SD3 (7.683 tons ha^-1), and SD6 (9.385 tons ha^-1) significantly presented higher yields. Based on the grain yield, the best growing environments of hybrid maize are NEBOUM1, BAMA and SOUNGALODAGO. The best genotypes for most of the environments are the hybrids of pure line varieties. The heritability was more than 80 % for all the studied yield traits.