Genetic studies of extra‐early provitamin‐A maize inbred lines and their hybrids in multiple environments

Vitamin A deficiency, drought, low soil nitrogen (low‐N), and Striga hermonthica parasitism of maize (Zea mays L.) cause malnutrition and food insecurity in sub‐Saharan Africa. The objectives of this study were to determine combining abilities of extra‐early provitamin A (PVA) lines, classify them into heterotic groups (HGs), identify testers, and determine yield stability of hybrids under contrasting environments in two trials. In Trial 1, 190 F(1) hybrids plus six checks were tested under Striga‐infested, drought, and stress‐free environments in Nigeria from 2015–2017. In Trial 2, 35 extra‐early yellow hybrids were evaluated under low‐N, Striga‐infested, and stress‐free environments in 2018. TZEEIOR 202 and TZEEIOR 205 had PVA concentrations of 23.98 and 22.56 μg g(−1). TZEEIOR 197 × TZEEIOR 205 (20.1 μg g(−1)) and TZEEIOR 202 × TZEEIOR 205 (22.7 μg g(−1)) contained about double the PVA level of the commercial check, TZEEI 58 × TZEE‐Y Pop STR C5 (11.4 μg g(−1)). Both general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability variances were significant for most agronomic traits, although GCA was larger than SCA effects, indicating GCA effects primarily controlled the inheritance of those traits. TZEEIOR 97 and TZEEIOR 197 were identified as inbred testers. TZEEIOR 197 × TZEEIOR 205 was identified as a single‐cross tester and the most stable and highest‐yielding hybrid across environments. TZEEIOR 202 and TZEEIOR 205 should be invaluable resources for breeding for high PVA. Provitamin A level was independent of hybrid yield potential, indicating that selection of superior hybrids with elevated PVA levels should be feasible.