Science Journal of Agricultural Research and Management

April 2014, Volume 2014, ISSN: 2276-8572

© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Research Article

 

Heritability and Correlation Coefficients Analysis of Maize (Zea Mays L.) Agronomic Traits for Drought Tolerance in Savanna Zones of Borno State, Nigeria

1D. Aminu,2F. K. Mohammed and 3F. M. Gamboa

1Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri.
2Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri.

Accepted 22 April, 2014, 2014; Available Online Accepted 28 April, 2014

doi: 10.7237/sjarm/176

Abstract:

Twenty-nine entries consisting of the twenty F1 hybrids plus nine parental lines were laid-out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and were evaluated in two locations namely: Biu and Damboa in the cropping season in 2008. The sowing were carried out in mid and end of August (15th-30th August) in Sudan and Northern Guinea savanna respectively in order to subject the entries to moisture stress. Evaluations were done to estimates the level of broad-sense heritability and correlations between the traits and total grain yields. The results showed high heritability estimates for days to 50% tasseling (56.61%), days to 50% silking (59.67%), anthesis silking interval (ASI) (64.23%), plant height (67.26%), ear height (56.83% and grain yield (55.57%), they are all above the average. However, moderate heritability estimates were recorded for number of stands per plot (49.36%), number of cobs per plant (50.69%), number of cobs per plot (45.54%) and 100 seed weight (45.89%). High and moderate broad-sense heritability of these traits revealed that an increment of production may be achieved upon improving either one or more of these traits. The analysis of the correlation coefficient revealed that number of stands per plot (r = 0.6045g and 0.4149e), ASI (r = 0.4580), plant height ( r = 0.6236), number of cobs per plant (r = 0.4926), number of cobs per plot (r = 0.9405), weight of cobs (r = 0.8343) and dehusked cobs (r = 0.4193) exhibited positive and significant genotypic (g), phenotypic (p) and environmental (e) correlation with grain yield across locations

Keyword:Correlation Coefficients, Drought, Heritability, Maize and Traits.

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