European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Authors
Hameed Gul, Saeedur Rahman, Muhammadullah, Nadeem Shah

Abstract
For sustainable maize crop production, several researchers are interested to develop high yielding tolerant varieties under different agro-climatic conditions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Keeping in view the importance of high yielding maize crop cultivars, the present study was conducted to evaluate the comparative performance of different commercial maize hybrids for grain yield and associated traits under field conditions at the Agricultural Research Farm of Gulo Dheri Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan during summer 2017. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications to test different maize hybrids (30k08, 3025, Gorilla, Garanon, CS200 and CS220) for economic yield and its contributing components .The data was recorded on different days to germination, cob length, cob diameter, plant height and grain yield in kgha^-1. The results show that maximum days to germination were noted for CS220 (7.333) and minimum days were recorded for 3025 (6.000). Likewise, the higher grain yield was recorded for Garanon and Gorilla (1550.0kg ha^-1), cob diameter for gorilla (41.100) and maximum cob length (17.750cm) and plant height by (171.01cm) Garanon. It was concluded from the study that the yield and yield components of maize hybrid varieties Garanon and Gorilla performed better than other hybrids under the agro climatic field conditions of Swabi. Furthermore, the hybrid varieties Garanon and Gorilla may also be used by the local farmers to get maximum yield as compared to other local varieties.