EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF INTRODUCED VARIETIES OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) AND ESTIMATING SOME GENETIC PARAMETERS

With the aim of evaluating the performance of five introduced varieties of maize and comparing it with a local variety, a field experiment was carried out for the spring and fall seasons of 2016 using RCBD design. Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications in the fields of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Jadriya. The variance analysis shows that all traits for genotypes and for both seasons were highly significant. The cultivar 3 was superior and gave highest yield in both seasons (173.72 gm and 183.52 gm). This superiority is due to it superiority in traits: (plant height 230.50 cm, ear height 123.07 cm, leaves no. 13.33 leaf, leaf area 0.72 cm(2), ear length 19.96 cm, ear weight 195.42 gm, row no. ear(-1) 19.56, total dry matter 335.90 gm, and cob weight 21.76) in spring season, while in fall season its superiority is due to superiority in traits: leaves no. 12.86 leaf, ear weight 207.35 gm., row no. ear(-1) 16.90, and total dry matter 248.80 gm. In spring season the trait total dry matter achieved highest sigma(2)p (2403.83), sigma(2)g (2174.94) and sigma(2)e (228.89). Far from this the sigma(2)g/sigma(2)e is low (9.50). While the trait grain yield plant(-1) achieved sigma(2)p (754.09), sigma(2)g (751.07) and sigma(2)e (3.016). So this is 249.06. For this the grain yield achieved highest PCV (20.36) and GCV (20.32) and highest value of heritability (99.48%). In the fall season, the trait total dry matter achieved the highest (5550.01), (4348.55) and (1201.45), so it was low (3.62). while this ratio was (208.06) for grain yield due to the (1783.01) very close from (1791.58) and low (8.57). So the heritability was highest (99.52%).