Evaluation of Single Cross Hybrids of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Winter Season at Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract— A study was conducted to identify high-yielding single-cross maize hybrids. A total of 26 single-cross maize hybrids along with four checks were evaluated at the research field of the National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan, from November 2023 to May 2024. The experiment was laid out in an alpha-lattice design with two replications and six blocks per replication. Data for 14 agro-morphological and yield-related traits were recorded. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in all traits, with heritability ranging from moderate (0.43-0.57) to high (0.64-0.87). ZH22668 (11.33 t ha⁻¹) was the highest-yielding hybrid, while ZH22741 (9.94 t ha⁻¹), ZH22712 (9.61 t ha⁻¹), ZH2182 (9.45 t ha⁻¹), ZH20379 (9.38 t ha⁻¹), and ZH22691 (9.37 t ha⁻¹) produced yields comparable to the commercial checks CP 808 (9.36 t ha⁻¹) and Sultan (9.33 t ha⁻¹). ZH22668, ZH22741, and ZH22712 showed a yield advantage of 2.62-21.04% over CP 808 and 26.38-49.11% over internal check CAH153. Therefore, ZH22668, ZH22741, and ZH22712 are promising hybrids for further evaluation in the inner-terai region of Nepal.