Galal Ahmed A, Safhi Fatmah A, Al Aboud Nora M, Aljabri Maha, Kucher Dmitry E, Kamara Mohamed M, El-Mogy Mohamed M, Ibrahim Omar M, El-Moneim Diaa Abd, Hassanin Abdallah A, El-Soda Mohamed, Mansour Elsayed, Ali Abdelraouf M
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, 33516, Egypt.
Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 22;15(1):2809. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87021-8.
Developing high-yielding and resilient maize hybrids is essential to ensure its sustainable production with the ongoing challenges of considerable shifts in global climate. This study aimed to explore genetic diversity among exotic and local maize inbred lines, evaluate their combining ability, understand the genetic mechanisms influencing ear characteristics and grain yield, and identify superior hybrids suited for timely and late sowing conditions. Seven local and exotic maize inbred lines were genotyped using SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers to assess their genetic diversity. These diverse lines were utilized to develop 21 F1 hybrids using a diallel mating design. These hybrids, alongside a high-yielding commercial check (SC-10), were evaluated under field conditions across two growing seasons under timely and late sowing conditions. The results showed that sowing date, assessed hybrids, and their interaction significantly influenced all measured agronomic traits. Notably, late sowing reduced plant height, ear characteristics, and, ultimately, grain yield. Several hybrids, particularly L101 × L103, L101 × L105, L104 × L105, and L104 × L107 under timely sowing, and L101 × L105 and L104 × L107 under late sowing, surpassed the agronomic performance of check commercial hybrid. Inbred lines L101 and L103 emerged as superior combiners for ear traits and yield, while line L106 showed promise for breeding shorter-stature plants. Hybrid combinations L101 × L105, L104 × L107, and L106 × L107 were identified as specific good combiners for grain yield and related traits under both sowing conditions, indicating their potential for commercial development. Strong positive associations were observed between grain yield and certain agronomic traits highlighting their utility for indirect selection in early breeding generations.
培育高产且具有抗逆性的玉米杂交种对于在全球气候发生重大变化这一持续挑战下确保其可持续生产至关重要。本研究旨在探索外来和本地玉米自交系之间的遗传多样性，评估它们的配合力，了解影响穗部特征和籽粒产量的遗传机制，并鉴定适合适时播种和晚播条件的优良杂交种。使用SSR（简单序列重复）标记对7个本地和外来玉米自交系进行基因分型，以评估它们的遗传多样性。利用这些不同的自交系，采用双列杂交设计培育了21个F1杂交种。这些杂交种与一个高产商业对照品种（SC - 10）一起，在适时播种和晚播条件下的两个生长季节的田间条件下进行评估。结果表明，播种日期、评估的杂交种及其相互作用对所有测量的农艺性状均有显著影响。值得注意的是，晚播降低了株高、穗部特征，最终降低了籽粒产量。几个杂交种，特别是适时播种条件下的L101×L103、L101×L105、L104×L105和L104×L107，以及晚播条件下的L101×L105和L104×L107，其农艺性能超过了对照商业杂交种。自交系L101和L103成为穗部性状和产量的优良配合系，而自交系L106在培育矮秆植株方面显示出潜力。杂交组合L101×L105、L104×L107和L106×L107被确定为在两种播种条件下籽粒产量及相关性状的特定优良配合系，表明它们具有商业开发潜力。在籽粒产量与某些农艺性状之间观察到强正相关，突出了它们在早期育种世代间接选择中的实用性。
