Assessment of agro-morphological performance, genetic parameters and clustering pattern of early maturing high yielding maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes developed through NC II

The study was conducted to select early maturing and high yielding maize genotypes. Six maize varieties; Sammaz–14, Sammaz–15, Sammaz–17, Sammaz–51, Sammaz–53, and Oba super2 were used as parents in NCII mating design. Data were collected on 17 parameters such as days to tasseling and silking, heights, tassel number, grain yield, etc. The results obtained showed that the maize varieties had significant differences (p < 0.05) in ear height, number of tassels and number of rows per cob. Yield attributes of F1 crosses showed Sammaz-14 × Sammaz-51 produced the highest weight of undehusked and dehusked cob, cob length while Sammaz-15 × Sammaz-53, produced the highest number of seeds per row and number of rows per cob. Sammaz-17 × Oba super2 cross produced the highest cob circumference. Based on agronomic traits, dendrogram classified the nine crosses into two clusters. The parent varieties exhibited high GCA in yield parameters while the crosses also performed high in terms of SCA. The number of seeds per row strongly correlated positively and significantly with number of rows per cob. The weight of dehusked cob was also positively and significantly associated with cob length (r = 0.739**), cob circumference (r = 0.726**). The variation observed indicated diversity in the varieties and was also utilized in selection of superior genotypes. The hybrids evaluated in this study showed potentiality for high yielding. The two lines developed from this study with extra-early and early maturing characteristics were recommended as new lines for commercial cultivation and utilization in further maize improvement projects.