Working Document Series Open Access 2010 RUF-35203

Inheritance of resistance to maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) in maize inbred lines and determination of their heterotic groups

G. AseaM.K. GafishiJ.K. Tumutegyereize

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Abstract

172 words

Maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) is a pest of maize causing serious losses to resource-poor farmers in the tropics. To combine resistance to Maize Weevil with high yield in maize, 52 inbred lines reported to harbor resistance were crossed to tester A and B and resultant progenies evaluated in different locations for yield. GENSTAT statistical package 12th edition revealed highly significant differences among entries for diseases and other important agronomic traits. Analysis of GCA and SCA showed that additive effects were more important than non additive for most of these traits. Additive and non additive effects had equal importance for response to yield in Namulonge, whereas SCA effects were more important in Masaka. Inbred lines were assigned to their heterotic groups. Across site analysis of GxE for yield revealed that the testcrosses were environment specific (p<0.01). Weevil resistance study involved the inbred parents, ten top best crosses obtained from lines with tester A and B as well as their opposite crosses. Thirty-two young adult weevils were used to infest 50-g maize samples.

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