Heterose e seus componentes em híbridos de populações F2 de milho

The potential of 28 hybrids maize F 2 population, obtained from a complete diallel among eight F 2 populations, along with the eight parental F 2 populations and two commercial controls were evaluated for agronomic traits, heterosis and its compo - nents. The experiments were developed in 2008/09, in Campinas, Mococa and Palmital, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The experi - mental design was in randomized blocks, with three replications. The agronomic traits male flowering, ear height and grain yield were evaluated. The grain yield was adjusted to 14% of moisture. Individual and grouped variance analyses were made considering the fixed model, with the means being compared by the Tukey test. The Gardner and Eberhart (1966) model was used in the diallel analysis. It was observed that the effect of heterosis and its components were highly significant. Consider - ing the grain yield, populations F 2 AG8060, F 2 Fort, F 2 A2555 are promising in hybrid combinations, with high values of parental heterosis. The population F 2 DAS2B710 had the greatest parental heterosis effects. There was heterosis manifestation for grain yield, mainly for hybrid F 2 A2555 x F 2 Fort. It was confirmed the potential of F 2 population hybrids as an alternative to the commercial maize production with medium to low technological input.