QUANTITATIVE INHERITANCE OF YIELD AND ITS COMPONENT TRAITS IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.).

The genetics of yield and its contributing traits was studied through generation mean analysis by using ten inbreds, their 45 F1 crosses by following diallel mating design, their corresponding F2, BC1 and BC2 progenies. The scaling test of A, B, C were significant indicating role of epistatic effects. In general, the magnitude of dominance effect was higher than additive effect indicating that yield and its components are largely governed by dominance effect. A breeding procedure which exploit both additive and dominance components, such as family selection with intermating, will be suitable for improvement of yield and its traits. The epistasis was complementary and duplicate type in the crosses for grain yield and its contributing traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]