Genetic analysis of post flowering stalk rot resistance in maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to study the genetics of resistance for (PFSR) through generation mean analysis by using ten inbreds comprising six resistant and four susceptible lines, 45 possible F1 crosses, their corresponding F2, BC1 and BC2 progeny. The scaling test of A, B, C were significant indicating the role of epistatic effects, additive x additive, additive x dominance, dominance x dominance as well as non additive gene action governing the characters. In general, the magnitude of dominance was higher than additive effect indicating that PFSR resistance is largely governed by dominance effect. A breeding procedure which exploit both additive and dominance components, such as family selection with inter-mating, may be suitable for improvement of such crosses.The epistasis was of complimentary type in seven crosses and duplicate type in 38 crosses for PFSR.