Morphological differences of experimental hybrids and check varieties of high-yielding grain maize

Malaysia’s poultry industry heavily relies on imported grain maize, posing challenges to national food security and economic sustainability. To address this, the development of high-yielding maize varieties is critical. This study evaluated morphological and yield-related traits of ten maize genotypes, which were five experimental hybrids (GH, GJ, HI, HJ, JK) and five check varieties (BTL 1, Pacific 338, Suwan 5, TVDC, GWG888) using a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Selangor. Significant differences were observed across all measured parameters. Experimental hybrids, particularly GJ, outperformed check varieties in key yield determinants, including dehusked ear weight, ear diameter, and kernel row count. The most distinctive finding was that hybrid GJ achieved the highest grain yield of 11,794 kg/ha, substantially exceeding that of the check varieties. Strong positive correlations were identified between dehusked ear weight and grain weight (r = 0.85, p-value = 0.02, α = 0.05), and between plant and ear height (r = 0.78, p-value = 0.05, α = 0.05), indicating synchronised plant development. Importantly, dehusked ear diameter emerged as a key yield predictor, showing moderate but meaningful correlations with grain yield, kernel rows, and ear weight (r = 0.61-0.68, p-value = 0.05, α = 0.05). These results highlight the pivotal role of ear diameter as a selection criterion in maize breeding programs. The superior performance of hybrid GJ presents a promising solution to Malaysia’s maize yield gap. Adoption and further development of such high-performing genotypes could reduce import dependency, strengthen local feed grain supply chains, and enhance national food security.

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