Combining Ability of Maize (Zea mays L.) Line for Grain Yield in Mali

Mali experiences irregular and poor distribution of rains which limit maize production greatly. The study objective was to evaluate the performance of various maize hybrids as well as determine general and specific combining ability of the lines under water limited conditions. Two trials were conducted at Sotuba and Kassela in South-Western Mali with 23 genotypes in the first trial and 15 genotypes in the second trial. The experimental design was a completely random Fisher block design. Morphological and agronomic traits were evaluated in a lines/testers crossing scheme where the testers were females and the lines were males. Results showed significant difference (P< 0.05) for ear height, days to anthesis, days to silking, grain yield, leaf width, plant aspect, and 1000 grain weight. In both sites, the general combining ability was significantly different (P< 0.05) between testers whereas the specific combining ability differed significantly (P< 0.05) between the lines. The best performing hybrid at Sotuba in term of grain yield was observed with TZI1876/9071 (6,003 kg/ha), and at Kassela the highest yielding was TZI1876/CML442 (6,320 kg/ha).