Modified model for assessment of maternal effects in first generation of faba bean

This study was carried out during two successive growing seasons, 2013/14 and 2014/15 at Giza Research Station, ARC, Giza, Egypt, in order to assess proposed modified model when the general and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA) effects were portioned to female and male effects and to assess the maternal and reciprocal effects in 5 x 5 diallel crosses of faba bean. The results of statistical analysis for parental genotypes and their F_1 hybrids, revealed highly significant differences among them for all studied traits except number of branches per plant. The cytoplasmic components were significant for number of seeds/plant, weight of 100 seeds and seed yield/plant. Results also revealed that estimated GCA effects according to Griffing’s method were equal to the average of GCA effects of each parent, after partitioning in the proposed model. In addition, the average of the difference between female and male GCA effects would provide valid and precise estimation of the maternal effect (favorable alleles, which are mainly additive) as previously confirmed by Hayman analysis for number of seeds/plant, weight of 100 seeds and seed yield/plant. The SCA effects calculated according to Griffing’s method equaled the average of SCA effects of each cross and its reciprocal. Meanwhile, in the proposed model, the average of the difference between SCA effects of each cross and its reciprocal equaled the reciprocal effects. This would provethat reciprocal effect provides precise estimation to the interaction effect between nuclear and cytoplasmic genes of the cross and its reciprocal hybrid.