EVALUATION OF MAIZE INBRED LINES BASED ON 1000-GRAIN MASS AND THEIR COMBINATIVE ABILITY

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of GCA and the SCA variance of self-pollinated maize lines for the trait "1000-grain mass" and to consider the genetic components exerting control over the studied trait. Eleven self-pollinated maize lines and 55 test hybrids (Griffing's model I, method 2) participated in the study. The test was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at OOO VPO "Pokrovskoe" Engelssky district of Saratov region. The indicator was counted annually in 1,980 plants (random sample of 30 plants). As a result of the study, the range of variation of the trait "1000-grain mass" was determined in self-pollinated lines (209.2-369.4 g – 2019, 190.8-305.9 g – 2020) and test hybrids (241.5-317.2 g – 2019, 201.4-349.5 g – 2020). The effects of GCA and SCA as well as the genetic and environmental components of variation derived from diallel analysis of self-pollinated maize lines were calculated. Self-pollinated maize lines with a high value of GCA effect in the study years were selected: SPK 16 and SPK 17. A high variance of SCA was found in the lines SPK 12, SPK 19, SPK 15, SPK 17 in 2019, and in the lines SPK 20, SPK 17, SPK 15, SPK 16, SPK 21 in 2020. The "1000-grain mass" trait manifests itself under the additive genetic effect. The effect of epistasis was evident in lines SPK 12 and SPK 16, and in 2020 in lines SPK 15, SPK 29 and SPK 20. The significance of the paratypical coefficient by study years was determined. The trait "1000-grain mass" is controlled by two or three genes or groups of genes.