Estimates of genetic variance and level of dominance in a tropical maize population. I. Grain yield and plant traits

Estimates of the components of genetic variance and of the level of dominance of quantitative traits are important because they billow the choice of efficient breeding methodologies with the resources available. However, estimates of these p parameters were reported only for maize (Zea mays L.) populations from temperate germplasm. This, this research was conducted to estimate the components of genetic variance and of the level of dominance for grain yield and plant traits for an F-2 tropical maize population. Results showed that additive variance was greater than dominance variance for all traits, except for grain yield where,additive and dominance variances showed similar values. Estimates of the levels of dominance were in the range of partial to complete dominance, except for grain yield where the estimates suggested the presence of overdominance. The overall results showed that the magnitudes of the components of the genetic variances, the levels of dominance as well as the additive genetic correlation between traits were within the range Of the estimates reported for temperate maize populations.