Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids
A comprehensive understanding of the genetics of resistance is essential for developing an effective breeding strategy to create germplasm resistant to Fusarium Ear Rot. This study aimed to determine the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), and heritability of resistanc...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1509859/full |
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| author | Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Patrick Rubaihayo John Bosco Sempiira John Bosco Sempiira Emmanuel Amponsah Adjei Isaac Onziga Dramadri Isaac Onziga Dramadri Bonny Michael Oloka Julius Pyton Sserumaga |
| author_facet | Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Patrick Rubaihayo John Bosco Sempiira John Bosco Sempiira Emmanuel Amponsah Adjei Isaac Onziga Dramadri Isaac Onziga Dramadri Bonny Michael Oloka Julius Pyton Sserumaga |
| author_sort | Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A comprehensive understanding of the genetics of resistance is essential for developing an effective breeding strategy to create germplasm resistant to Fusarium Ear Rot. This study aimed to determine the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), and heritability of resistance to infection by Fusarium verticillioides in tropical maize. Using the North Carolina II mating design, six inbred lines as females and seven as males were crossed to produce 42 hybrids, which were evaluated across five environments using artificial inoculation. At harvest, the hybrids were scored for Fusarium Ear Rot (FER) infection using a 1-9 severity scale. Significant GCA effects for the parents and SCA effects for the hybrids were observed. The narrow-sense heritability estimate was 0.22, while the broad-sense heritability was 0.73, and the additive genetic effects, as represented by GCA (m+f), were more significant than non-additive effects. The inbred parents JPS25-13, JPS26-125, JPS26-86, JPS25-11, JPS25-5, JPS25-7, and JPS25-9 were identified as the best general combiners for FER resistance. These lines, with favorable general combining ability effects for resistance to Fusarium verticillioides, are strong candidates for breeding resistant varieties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c7887478ea004080adfefae5f0ba1d75 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-c7887478ea004080adfefae5f0ba1d752025-01-30T06:22:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-01-011610.3389/fpls.2025.15098591509859Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybridsStella Bigirwa Ayesiga0Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga1Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga2Patrick Rubaihayo3John Bosco Sempiira4John Bosco Sempiira5Emmanuel Amponsah Adjei6Isaac Onziga Dramadri7Isaac Onziga Dramadri8Bonny Michael Oloka9Julius Pyton Sserumaga10Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaNational Livestock Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, UgandaMakerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI), College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaDepartment of Crop Science and Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaDepartment of Crop Science and Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaNational Livestock Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, UgandaCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)– Savanna Agriculture Research Institute, Tamale, GhanaDepartment of Crop Science and Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaMakerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI), College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United StatesNational Livestock Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, UgandaA comprehensive understanding of the genetics of resistance is essential for developing an effective breeding strategy to create germplasm resistant to Fusarium Ear Rot. This study aimed to determine the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), and heritability of resistance to infection by Fusarium verticillioides in tropical maize. Using the North Carolina II mating design, six inbred lines as females and seven as males were crossed to produce 42 hybrids, which were evaluated across five environments using artificial inoculation. At harvest, the hybrids were scored for Fusarium Ear Rot (FER) infection using a 1-9 severity scale. Significant GCA effects for the parents and SCA effects for the hybrids were observed. The narrow-sense heritability estimate was 0.22, while the broad-sense heritability was 0.73, and the additive genetic effects, as represented by GCA (m+f), were more significant than non-additive effects. The inbred parents JPS25-13, JPS26-125, JPS26-86, JPS25-11, JPS25-5, JPS25-7, and JPS25-9 were identified as the best general combiners for FER resistance. These lines, with favorable general combining ability effects for resistance to Fusarium verticillioides, are strong candidates for breeding resistant varieties.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1509859/fullZea maysFusariumgene actionheritabilitygenetics |
| spellingShingle | Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Stella Bigirwa Ayesiga Patrick Rubaihayo John Bosco Sempiira John Bosco Sempiira Emmanuel Amponsah Adjei Isaac Onziga Dramadri Isaac Onziga Dramadri Bonny Michael Oloka Julius Pyton Sserumaga Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids Frontiers in Plant Science Zea mays Fusarium gene action heritability genetics |
| title | Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| title_full | Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| title_fullStr | Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| title_short | Combining ability and gene action for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| title_sort | combining ability and gene action for resistance to fusarium ear rot in tropical maize hybrids |
| topic | Zea mays Fusarium gene action heritability genetics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1509859/full |
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