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Diallel Analysis of Leaf Number, Leaf Development Rate, and Plant Height of Early Maturing Maize¹

A diallel cross from eight early maturing maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds was used to investigate inheritance and determine combining abilities for leaf number and plant height, two correlates of floweringtime, and leaf development rate (LDR). Dominance for increasing leaf number was almost complete. Apparent "overdominance" for increasing plant height and "overdominance" for decreasing LDR were also observed. Broad-sense heritabilities were 88, 74, and 78% for leaf number, LDR, and height in the growth room. Narrow-sense heritabilities were lower, particularly for height. Neither reciprocal effects nor specific combining ability effects were significant for leaf number, LDR, or plant height in field or growth room trials. Thus, hybrid performance was determined by general combining abilities of parental inbreds. Leaf number and LDR were positively correlated with flowering-time. Leaf number was also correlated with height. Apparent "overdominance" for decreasing LDR explains how dominance for increasing leaf number and incomplete dominance for decreasing flowering-time may act simultaneously and indicates that heterosis occurs for development in maize.

Key Words: Zea mays L. • Corn • Earliness • Maturity • Development • Inheritance

² Graduate assistant, Biology Dep., Univ. of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and crop physiologist, Agriculture Canada Research Station, Lethridge.

Received for publication September 29, 1980.