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Food insecurity and malnutrition are major challenges facing rural populations in sub‐Saharan Africa. A total of 150 quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) (QPM) hybrids generated from 30 early‐maturing QPM inbreds plus six checks were evaluated under drought, low soil N, and Striga [Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth.]‐infested environments in Nigeria for 2 yr. The objectives were to (i) examine the gene action conditioning the traits in the inbreds, (ii) classify them into heterotic groups using two methods, (iii) identify the best QPM inbred testers across environments, and (iv) identify stable and high‐yielding hybrids. General and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA, respectively) mean squares were significant (P < 0.01) for grain yield and other traits across environments, indicating that additive and nonadditive gene actions were important in the inheritance of most traits of the inbreds. Preponderance of SCA sum of squares over GCA for most measured traits across environments indicated that nonadditive gene action largely modulated inbred trait inheritance. The GCA effects of multiple traits (HGCAMT) method classified the inbreds into three heterotic groups each under drought and across environments and four groups under low N and Striga‐infested environments. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐based method placed the inbreds into three groups across environments and was more efficient. TZEQI 6 and TZEQI 55 were identified as testers across environments. TZEQI 44 × TZEQI 4, TZEQI 35 × TZEQI 39, TZEQI 35 × TZEQI 59, TZEQI 6 × TZEQI 35, and TZEQI 45 × TZEQI 33 were the most stable and highest‐yielding hybrids across environments and should be commercialized for improved nutrition and food security in sub‐Saharan Africa.

a b s t r a c tFood insecurity and malnutrition are two major challenges facing rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Hybrids of quality protein maize (QPM) have a crucial role here to play because QPM contains increased lysine and tryptophan concentrations and has a higher biological value than the normal maize. Information on the combining ability and heterotic patterns of QPM inbreds is crucial for the success of hybrid programs in the sub-region. Ninety-one diallel crosses derived from 14 early maturing yellowendosperm QPM inbreds were evaluated from 2010 to 2012 under Striga infested, drought, low-N and optimal environments in Nigeria. The objectives were to (i) examine the combining ability of the set of early yellow QPM inbreds, (ii) classify the inbreds into heterotic groups and identify the best testers (iii) compare the efficiencies of the heterotic grouping methods in classifying the inbreds and (iv) determine the grain yield and stability of the inbreds in hybrid combinations under the research environments. General (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects were important in the inheritance of grain yield and other traits of the inbreds. However, GCA was more important than SCA under each contrasting environment and across environments suggesting that the additive gene action was more important than the non-additive in the set of inbreds. The SCA effects of grain yield and the heterotic group's SCA and GCA of grain yield (HSGCA) methods classified the inbreds into three groups each, while the heterotic grouping based on GCA of multiple traits (HGCAMT) and the SNP-based genetic distance (GD) methods had two groups each across research environments. There was close correspondence among the classifications of all the grouping methods in terms of placement of inbreds into the same heterotic groups. The SNP-based method was the most efficient and was used to identify TZEQI 87 and TZEQI 91 as the best testers for the SNP-based heterotic groups 1 and 2. The hybrids, TZEQI 87 × TZEQI 93, TZEQI 77 × TZEQI 91 and TZEQI 80 × TZEQI 91 were identified as the most stable and high yielding across research environments and should be commercialized.

Maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids resistant to Striga hermonthica (Del) Benth and tolerant to drought are vital to the sustainability of productivity of the maize‐based farming systems of West and Central Africa (WCA). Thirty‐six diallel crosses derived from nine early maturing white maize inbreds were evaluated under drought, well‐watered, striga‐infested, and striga‐free conditions at five locations in Nigeria between 2007 and 2009. The objective was to examine the combining ability, performance and stability of the inbreds, and to identify the heterotic groups. Additive and nonadditive gene actions were important in the control of the inheritance of drought tolerance and striga resistance in the inbreds. General combining ability (GCA) mean squares of grain yield and other traits were larger than those of specific combining ability (SCA), indicating that additive gene action was more important in the inheritance of drought tolerance. The GCA mean squares for striga damage rating at 8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP) were about six and five times greater than those of the SCA, indicating that additive gene action played a major role in the inheritance of the striga traits. The GGE biplot analysis revealed that TZEI 4 and TZEI 5 were the most promising inbreds in yield performance and stability across the test environments. Two heterotic groups were identified; [TZEI 7, TZEI 19, TZEI 2, TZEI 4] and [TZEI 5, TZEI 3]. Tester TZEI 3 was the closest to the ideal tester. Entry TZEI 7 had the highest GCA effects and TZEI 2 the lowest.

Secondary traits can improve precision with which drought or low soil nitrogen (low‐N) tolerant maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes are identified, compared to measuring only grain yield under each stress. The objective of this study was to identify secondary traits for indirect selection for yield improvement under drought and/or low‐N. Two sets of experiments were conducted at four locations in Nigeria for 2 yr. In the first experiment, cultivars were evaluated under low (30 kg ha−1) and high (90 kg ha−1) N and drought and well‐watered environments in the second experiment. Most reliable traits for selection for yield under drought were ear aspect (EASP), plant aspect (PASP), anthesis‐silking interval (ASI), and number of ears per plant (EPP). Days to anthesis (DYA) and silking (DYS) were the most reliable under well‐watered environments. Under low‐N, most reliable traits were DYA, DYS, stay green characteristic (LDTH), ASI, plant height (PLHT), EPP, EASP, and PASP whereas PLHT, EPP, PASP, and EASP were most reliable traits under high‐N environments. The ASI, EPP, EASP, and PASP were identified as most reliable traits for simultaneous selection of drought and low‐N tolerant genotypes. Under drought, cultivars TZE‐Y DT STR C4, TZE‐W DT STR C4, and TZE Comp 3 DT C1F2 were outstanding and closest to the ideal cultivar. Seven cultivars were closest to the ideal under low‐N, two of which were among the three selected under drought stress. Faster progress in selecting for improved grain yield is possible using EPP, EASP, PASP, and ASI under either drought or low‐N.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major staple crop in West Africa and has the potential to mitigate the food insecurity in the subregion. However, maize grain yield is severely constrained by drought. A study was conducted at 13 locations in West Africa for 2 yr to determine genetic gains in yield of cultivars developed during three eras, 1988 to 2000 (first‐generation cultivars), 2001 to 2006 (second‐generation cultivars), and 2007 to 2010 (third‐generation cultivars) under drought and optimal conditions. Under drought, yield ranged from 1346 kg ha⁻1 for first‐generation cultivars to 1613 kg ha⁻1 for third‐generation cultivars with a genetic gain of 1.1% yr−1. Under optimal conditions, yield gain ranged from 3363 kg ha⁻1 for first‐generation cultivars to 3956 kg ha⁻1 for third‐generation cultivars with genetic gain of 1.3%. The average rate of increase in yield was 14 and 40 kg ha⁻1 yr⁻1 under drought and optimum conditions. Genetic gains in yield from first‐ to third‐generation cultivars under drought was associated with improved plant aspect and husk cover, whereas under optimum conditions it was associated with plant and ear aspects, increased ears per plant, plant and ear heights, and improved husk cover. Cultivars TZE‐W DT C2 STR, DTE‐W STR Syn C1, DT‐W STR Synthetic, 2009 DTE‐W STR Syn, and EV DT‐W 2008 STR were high yielding and stable across drought environments. Substantial progress has been made in breeding for drought tolerance during the last three decades.

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Grain yield of maize {Zea mays L.) has low heritability under low soil nitrogen (low N) and drought, necessitating the use of secondary traits with strong associations with yield for selection. A base index involving anthesissilking interval, plant and ear aspects, ears per plant, and stay green characteristic is used for selection for yieid under drought and low-N stresses. Reports are contradictory on the reliability of stay green characteristic for selecting for yield under drought stress and of ears per plant and anthesis-silking interval in selecting for low-N tolerance. Ninety extraearly inbreds were evaluated for 2 yr at three locations in Nigeria under low N and drought to confirm reliability of stay green characteristic for selecting for drought tolerance and of ears per plant and anthesis-silking interval for low N. Plant aspect and plant and ear heights were identified as the most reliable traits for simultaneous selection for yield under low N and drought in the extra-early inbreds. Stay green characteristic was unreliable for selecting drought tolerant genotypes while ears per plant and anthesis-silking interval were not among the reliable traits for selecting low-N tolerant genotypes. Ear height, plant and ear aspects, and stay green characteristic were identified by both path-coefficient and genotype main effect plus genotype x environment interaction (GGE) biplot analyses as reliable for selecting for low N and ear aspect, plant height, and anthesissilking interval for drought tolerance.