Multivariate analysis for grain yield and yield attributing traits in maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines under acidic and neutral soil conditions
Main Article Content
Abstract
Evaluating maize genotypes under varying environmental conditions is essential for identifying stable genotypes with high yield potential. This study investigated the multivariate relationships of grain yield and key agronomic traits in 110 maize inbred lines grown in field conditions under both neutral (pH 6.7) and acidic (pH 4.8) soils. Analysis of variance revealed significant variation among the genotypes for all traits except anthesis-silking interval. The correlation analysis indicated that under neutral soil, yield per plant showed a positive but weak association with traits such as days to 50% silk emergence, anthesis-silking interval, days to 75% maturity, plant height and ear height. Under acidic soil conditions, however, yield exhibited negligible positive correlations with all traits. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three components explained 81.6% of the total variation. Hierarchical clustering classified the genotypes into four distinct clusters, with genotypes P53, P66, P37, P100, P60, P90, P59 and P36 showing superior performance under acidic conditions. These genotypes demonstrated higher grain yield, plant height, ear height and a shorter anthesis-silking interval, and all are promising parents for breeding programs targeting improved performance under acidic soil conditions. The findings provide valuable insights for maize breeding strategies aimed at improving performance across different soil pH environments.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Al-Naggar, A.M.M., Shafik, M.M. and Musa, R.Y.M. 2020. Genetic diversity based on morphological traits of 19 maize genotypes using principal component analysis and GT biplot. Annual Research & Review in Biology, 35(2): 68-85.
Anand, S., Jayalekshmy, V.G., Reddy, S.B., Ankitha, M.O. and Ashokan, A. 2023. Water stress induced trait association studies on yield and drought selection indices in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Biological Forum-an International Journal, 15(4): 324-329.
Antony, B.J., Kachapur, R.M., Naidu, G.K., Talekar, S.C., Zerka, M. and Harlapur, S.I. 2024. Genetic variability and character association among maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines. Bangladesh Journal of Botany, 53(1): 57-65. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v53i1.72135
Bian, M., Zhou, M., Sun, D. and Li, C. 2013. Molecular approaches unravel the mechanism of acid soil tolerance in plants. The Crop Journal, 1(2): 91-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2013.08.002
Chen, X., Xia, Y., Chen, L., Yin, X., Deng, S., Venuste, M., Shi, L., Xu, F., Zhu, Q., Ding, G. and Wang, C. 2025. Multivariate analysis unveils antioxidant-nutrient trade-offs in maize hybrids: A hierarchical framework for acid soil tolerance evaluation.
Choquette, N.E., Holland, J.B., Weldekidan, T., Drouault, J., de Leon, N., Flint‐Garcia, S., Lauter, N., Murray, S.C., Xu, W. and Wisser, R.J. 2023. Environment‐specific selection alters flowering‐time plasticity and results in pervasive pleiotropic responses in maize. New Phytologist, 238(2): 737-749. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18769
El-Badawy, M.E.M. and Mehasen, S.A.S. 2011. Multivariate analysis for yield and its components in maize under zinc and nitrogen fertilization levels. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 5(12): 3008-3015.
FAOSTAT. 2021. Agricultural production statistics.
Johnson, H.W., Robinson, H.F. and Comstock, R.E. 1955. Estimates of genetic and environmental variability in soybeans. Agronomy Journal, 47(7): 314-318.
Krishna, D.M., Reddy, D.M., Reddy, K.H.P. and Sudhakar, P. 2009. Character association and interrelationship of yield and quality attributes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The Andhra Agricultural Journal, 56(3): 298-301.
Leng, P., Khan, S.U., Zhang, D., Zhou, G., Zhang, X., Zheng, Y., Wang, T. and Zhao, J. 2022. Linkage mapping reveals QTL for flowering time-related traits under multiple abiotic stress conditions in maize. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(15): 8410. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158410
Magar, B.T., Acharya, S., Gyawali, B., Timilsena, K., Upadhayaya, J. and Shrestha, J. 2021. Genetic variability and trait association in maize (Zea mays L.) varieties for growth and yield traits. Heliyon, 7(9). DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07939
Mangani, R., Mazarura, J., Matlou, S., Marquart, A., Archer, E. and Creux, N. 2025. The impact of past and current district-level climatic shifts on maize production and the implications for South African farmers. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 156(2): 109.
Mishra, R.P., Kumar, S., Kumar, A. and Tarkeshwar. 2023. Studies on interrelationship and path coefficient of quantitative traits in maize (Zea mays L.). The Pharma Innovation Journal, 12(9): 2562-2570.
Molosiwa, O.O., Gwafila, C., Makore, J. and Chite, S.M. 2016. Phenotypic variation in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) germplasm collection from Botswana. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 8(7): 153-163.
Mounika, K., Ahamed, M.L. and Umar, S.N. 2018. Principal component and cluster analysis in inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.). Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci, 7(06): 3221-3229.
Omar, M., Rabie, H.A., Mowafi, S.A., Othman, H.T., El-Moneim, D.A., Alharbi, K., Mansour, E. and Ali, M.M. 2022. Multivariate analysis of agronomic traits in newly developed maize hybrids grown under different agro-environments. Plants, 11(9): 1187. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091187
Pace, B.A., Perales, H.R., Gonzalez-Maldonado, N. and Mercer, K.L. 2024. Physiological traits contribute to growth and adaptation of Mexican maize landraces. Plos One, 19(2): e0290815. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290815
Sahu, J., Sinha, S.K., Chaudhari, P., Giri, S.K. and Sathish, K. 2022. Evaluation of maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes to estimate the genetic parameters of variability for various polygenic traits. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 11(9): 668-672.
Sharma, U.C., Datta, M. and Sharma, V. 2025. Chemistry, Microbiology, and Behaviour of Acid Soils. In Soil Acidity: Management Options for Higher Crop Productivity (pp. 121-322). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76357-1_3
Simthandile, B. 2021. Agro-morphological characterization and investigations into the response of yellow Quality Protein Maize (QPM) genotypes to low soil pH. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Agronomy Faculty of Science and Agriculture Alice, University of Fort Hare South Africa.
Sinana, H.F., Ravikesavan, R., Iyanar, K. and Senthil, A. 2023. Study of genetic variability and diversity analysis in maize (Zea mays L.) by agglomerative hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 14(1): 43-51.
Suryanarayana, L., Sekhar, M.R., Babu, D.R., Ramana, A.V. and Rao, V.S. 2017. Cluster and principal component analysis in maize. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. Appl. Sci, 6(7): 354-359.
Van Hintum, T.J.L. 1995. Hierarchical approaches to the analysis of genetic diversity in crop plants. In: Hodgkin, T., Brown, A.H.D., Van Hintum, T.J.L., Morales, E.A.V. (Eds.) Core collection of plant genetic resources. John Wiley and Sons, pp. 23-34.
Vasconcellos, R.C., Mendes, F.F., de Oliveira, A.C., Guimarães, L.J., Albuquerque, P.E., Pinto, M.O., Barros, B.A., Pastina, M.M., Magalhaes, J.V. and Guimaraes, C.T. 2021. ZmMATE1 improves grain yield and yield stability in maize cultivated on acid soil. Crop Science, 61(5): 3497-3506. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20575
Visakh, R.L., Bindu, M.R., Gayathri, G. and Sodhaparmar, M.K. 2023. Assessment of genetic correlation, path coefficient analysis and principal component analysis in horse gram under water stress. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 13(8): 1455-1470.
Yadesa, L., Abebe, B. and Tafa, Z. 2022. Genetic variability, heritability, correlation analysis, genetic advance, and principal component analysis of grain yield and yield-related traits of quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines adapted to mid-altitude agro-ecology of Ethiopia. EAS Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 4(1): 8-17.