Combining Abilities For Grain Yield And Grey Leaf Spot Resistance In Maize
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Date
2011Author
Nzuve, F.M.
Githiri, S.M.
Mukunya, D.M.
Gethi, J.
Type
PresentationLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Maize is a very important staple crop which helps to avert hunger and famine in sub-Saharan
Africa. However, the current maize production does not meet the current consumption given the
increased global population. The grey leaf spot disease (GLS) threatens maize production. A full
diallel among seven inbred lines was made to identify maize lines with superior grain yield and
high GLS resistance. The single cross hybrids were grown in a randomized complete block
design in three replicates at three sites namely; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI),
Kiboko and Kakamega; and at the University of Nairobi, Upper Kabete Campus, Field station.
There was natural GLS infection at KARI, Kakamega whereas artificial inoculation was used at
the Upper Kabete field station. The data on grain yield, grey leaf spot disease and other
agronomic traits was analysed following the Griffing’s method one model one of the SAS
program to obtain the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA).
The inbred lines showed significant variation in reference to their GCA and SCA effects. The
inbred lines, CML 384 and CML 373 were the best combiners for grain yield with GCA effects
of 0.79 and 0.56 respectively while TZMI 711 and CML 373 were the most GLS resistant
parents with GCA values of -0.51 and -0.398 respectively. The local maize breeders could now
incorporate into recurrent and back cross recovery programs the genes for GLS resistance in
CML 373 and TZMI 711 and the grain yield genes in CML 384 to help bridge the gap between
researchers’ and farmers’ field maize yield. This will ensure food and nutritional security
especially in sub Saharan Africa which is faced with chronic malnutrition and famine.