IMPROVE YIELD AND DOWNY MILDEW RESISTANCE OF F1 MADURA MAIZE HYBRIDS
<p class="abstrakinggris">Maize production in Madura Island is low. The study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performances (flowering age, harvesting age, and yield), heterosis effect, and resistance to downy mildew disease of F<sub>1 </sub>Madura maize hybrids. Ten F<sub>1</sub> maize hybrids and seven respective parents were evaluated at the experimental center of the Agro-Technology Study Program of Agriculture Faculty, the University of Trunojoyo Madura, from July to December 2017. The experiments were arranged in a randomized block design, three replications, with a 50–100 plant population per unit. The parents were T<sub>12</sub>, T<sub>16</sub>, G<sub>10</sub>, G<sub>14</sub>, E<sub>02</sub>, Td<sub>04</sub> and L<sub>1</sub> genotypes having resistance to downy mildew (<em>Peronosclerospora maydis</em>). The results showed that the flowering age of the F<sub>1</sub> Madura maize hybrids ranged 35–39 days, the harvesting age was 74–81 days, and the yield ranged from 2.90–6.40 t ha<sup>-1</sup>. Three hybrids showed the highest yield (T<sub>12</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> = 6.40 t ha<sup>-1</sup>, T<sub>16</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> = 5.42 t ha<sup>-1</sup>, and E<sub>02</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> = 5.90 t ha<sup>-1</sup>), and resistance to downy mildew, i.e. T<sub>12</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> (26.67%), T<sub>16</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> (26.67%), and E<sub>02</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> (26.67%). Two hybrids showed the highest heterosis values for yield, i.e. T<sub>12</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> (65.80%) and E<sub>02</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> (54.65%). The study suggests that three F<sub>1</sub> Madura maize hybrids (T<sub>12 </sub>x L<sub>1</sub>, T<sub>16</sub> x L<sub>1</sub> and E<sub>02</sub> x L<sub>1</sub>) are prospective to be developed further for high yield and resistance to downy mildew.</p>