Abstract

10.Cluster analysis among the Maize inbred lines (Zea maysl.) under heat stress condition
Manoj Kandel, Surya Kant Ghimire,Bishnu Raj Ojha and Jiban Shrestha
High temperature limits plant growth and economic yield. Heat stress is often encountered to spring sowing of maize. Twenty maize inbred lines were studied for days to 50 % anthesis and silking, anthesis–silking interval, leaf firing, tassel blast, SPAD reading and leaf senescence, plant and ear height, leaf area index, ear per plant, cob length and diameter, number of kernel ear-1, number of kernel row-1, number of kernel row ,silk receptivity, shelling percentage, thousand kernel weight and grain yield in alpha lattice design at National Maize Research Program at Rampur, Chitwan,Nepal with the objective to identify superior heat stress tolerant lines group. Result of cluster analysis revealed that twenty inbred lines formed four clusters. The resistance inbred lines and susceptible inbred lines separated in different clusters. The members of cluster 4 were found to be tolerant to heat stress due to they had lowest value of tassel blast, leaf firing, and leaf area index with highest value of cob diameter and length, ear per plant, number of kernel row-1, number of kernel ear-1, number of kernel row, shelling percentage, silk receptivity and grain yield under heat stress condition. These inbred lines belonging to superior cluster 4 could be considered very useful in other breeding activities.