PERFORMANCE OF MODIFIED DOUBLE CROSS MAIZE HYBRIDS UNDER DROUGHT STRESS

Performance of modified double cross maize hybrids along with their respective parental hybrids under drought stress imposed at two reproductive stages i.e. flowering and grain filling on grain yield of was studied at University of Agriculture, Peshawar and Cereal Crop Research Institute, Pirsabak, Nowshera during summer season (July-October) 2011. Highly significant differences among the genotypes (G), locations (L), drought stress (S) and LxS interaction were observed for grain yield. Significant differences were recorded for GxL interaction. However, non-significant differences were observed for GxS interaction and interaction of GxSxL. The average grain yield for drought stress treatment during flowering, at Peshawar, ranged between 2961 kg ha^-1 and 6000 kg ha^-1, observed for parental hybrids ICI-974 and P-3025, respectively. Similarly maximum (6453 kg ha^-1) and minimum (3038 kg ha^-1) average grain yield for water stress treatment at grain filling was noted for modified hybrids WD-2x8 and P-3025. Maximum grain yield of 10678 kg ha^-1, at Pirsabak, for water stress treatment at flowering was displayed by hybrid P-3025 while minimum grain yield of 6265 kg ha^-1 was observed for hybrid WD-2x8. Similarly hybrid P-3025 and modified hybrid WD-2x8 produced maximum and minimum average grain yield of 11255 kg ha^-1 and 7086 kg ha^-1, respectively, at Pirsabak for drought stress treatment at grain filling stage. It could be concluded that modified double cross maize hybrids were less affected by drought stress conditions as compared to their respective parental hybrids and that modified hybrids were high yielding as compared to parental hybrids under drought stress condition.