Assessment of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important cereal crop, notable for its adaptability across diverse environments and its role in food, feed, and industrial products. This study investigates the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in maize. The crosses were made during zaid 2021. Present investigation, conducted on hybrids along with parental lines and check varieties during the Zaid season of 2022 at the Agricultural Research farm Pili Kothi, Tilak Dhari Post Graduate College, Jaunpur (U.P.). The mean squares due to treatments were highly significant for all the nineteen characters which showed significant differences, indicating presence of sufficient variability in the materials of F1s.Phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation (PCV and GCV) were higher for traits like seedling fresh weight, seedling dry weight, and grain yield per plant, with values over 20%. High broad-sense heritability estimates were observed for most traits, especially for days to tasseling, plant height, leaf area, and grain yield per plant, while moderate heritability was noted for traits like the number of cobs per plant, cob diameter, and germination percentage. High genetic advance was observed for traits like plant height, leaf area, and seedling weight, with genetic advance percentages exceeding 30% for several traits, indicating potential for genetic improvement. The experiment revealed considerable variation within both parental lines and hybrids, highlighting the potential of hybrid vigor to improve traits such as plant height, leaf area, cob characteristics, and grain yield. This study underscores the complexity of maize breeding and highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to trait selection and genetic optimization for future breeding programs.