Global Research journal of Natural Science and Technology (Grjnst)

Volume: 03 - Issue 2 (2025)

[Link]: 2790-7643 [Link]: 2790-7651
[Link]

Yield Related Traits Prioritization in Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrid Breeding
using Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
Ahsan Raza Mallhi1, Aamar Shehzad1*, Adila Shahzadi2, Muhammad Altaf3, Wasim
Akbar4, Aamir Ghani4, Muhammad Saeed4
1
Maize Research Station, AARI, Faisalabad
2
Agricultural Economics Section, AARI, Faisalabad
3
Oilseed Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad
4
Maize & Millets Research Institute, Yusafwala, Sahiwal
*
Corresponding author: aamarshehzad1763@[Link]

Abstract:
The present study comprises of 16 indigenous hybrids with two replications and evaluated in
RCBD during Kharif 2023 to assess the hybrids for kernel yield and its associated traits at
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Analysis of variance revealed that plant height (PHt), ear height
(ErHt), ear length (ErL), ear girth (ErG), kernel/row (KeRo), kernel length (KeL), kernel
width (KeW), kernel thickness (KeTh), 100 kernel weight (KW), shelling % (Shell) showed
highly significant variation, kernel yield (Y) possessed significant variation while days to
50% silking (Silk) showed non-significant variation among 16 hybrids. Pearson correlation
analysis revealed that highly significant association found between PHt and KeW (0.72**),
KW and ErL (0.68**), KeRo and KeTh (-0.64**). Significant correlation found between KW
and KeRo (0.53*), ErL and KeRo (0.52*), ErG and KeL (0.57*), KW and KeTh (-0.51*),
KeL and KeTh (-0.53*). The first two components of PCA accounted for 53.2 % of the total
variance. PCA biplots arrow for Y aligns in the direction of ErG and KeL that showed
significant association for Y improvement. Arrow head of PHt and ErHt point in the same
direction, suggesting both traits can be improved simultaneously but they are oriented
opposite to Y. Similarly, arrows of ErG and KeL point in the same direction, connecting
positive relation between them which can be improved together. Kernel yield (Y) can be
enhanced by improving ErG and KeL. Finally, FH-1720 and YH-5427 exhibited superior
performance in Y, KeL and ErG, making them promising candidates for achieving higher
grain yield.

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Key Words: Maize hybrid, Trait breeding, correlation, multivariate analysis

Introduction

Maize is an essential crop both in Pakistan and globally. It is a C4 plant, enabling it to

efficiently fix CO2 and achieve higher grain yields. It is a diploid species (2n = 20) that
demonstrates remarkable adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, making it suitable
for cultivation across various regions worldwide. Farmers prefer maize due to its high grain
yield per acre compared to other cereal crops and the presence of a well-established
processing industry (Mallhi et al., 2025). Maize serves a dual purpose, being utilized as both
fodder and grain. Additionally, it is recognized as an industrial crop, with 70–80% of its
production used in industrial applications, while only 13% contributes to human consumption
globally (Yousaf et al., 2023). The crop has a wide range of applications beyond human food
and animal feed. Its cob powder is used as filler in explosives and in the production of glues,
vinegar, plastics, resins, adhesives, artificial leather, paper, pulp, and hardboard (Ghani et al.,
2020). Maize also acts as a carrier and diluent in pesticide and insecticide formulations. Corn
grain is processed into products such as flour, flakes, syrup, starch and oil (Yousaf et al.,
2021).

Pakistan is an agrarian country with huge fertile plains to cultivate a variety of crops to provide food to its
people. In Pakistan, maize ranks as the third most significant cereal crop after wheat and rice
(Jamil et al., 2024). During the 2023-24, it was cultivated on 1.6 million hectares, producing
9.8 million metric tons with an average grain yield of 6199 kg/hectare. The crop contributes
2.9% to value addition in agriculture and 0.7% to the national GDP. Pakistan population is
growing at the rate of 2.0 % with total population of 251 million. To feed such a big population, there is
desirable to cultivate cereal crops with higher grain yield per acre (Pakistan, 2023-24).

Maize grain yield is shaped by the complex interrelationships among various traits which are
influenced either positively or negatively by climatic fluctuations. Understanding the
relationships among these traits is crucial for identifying the degree and direction of their
associations, ultimately aiding in the enhancement of economic crop production (Alam et al.,
2022). So, for determining the dependency of yield on various traits, pearson correlation and
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) serve as vital statistical methods commonly utilized in
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maize research. These tools facilitate the exploration of relationships and patterns among
traits, offering valuable insights for improving yield and other agronomic characteristics.

Pearson correlation provides information pertinent to the strength and direction of the linear
association between two variables, offering insights into how traits are interrelated. For
instance, a strong positive correlation between two traits indicates that selecting for one trait
may indirectly improve the other (Rafique et al., 2020). Additionally, PCA is a multivariate
technique used to reduce data dimensionality while retaining the maximum variance. It
transforms correlated traits into uncorrelated components, enabling researchers to identify
key traits contributing to variability in a dataset. In maize breeding, PCA helps prioritize
traits for selection by pinpointing those with the highest influence on overall genetic diversity
and productivity (Al-Naggar et al., 2020).

The current study was conducted to assess the various maize kernel yield related traits
using multivariate analysis to improve the grain yield of maize.

Material and Methods:

Experimental Location and Plant Materials

This study was conducted at the Maize Research Station, Ayub Agricultural Research
Institute, Faisalabad (31.4504° N, 73.1350° E) at an elevation of 186 m above sea level. The
research was carried out under field conditions during the Kharif seasons of 2023. A total of
sixteen hybrids (FH-1046, FH-1205, FH-1400, FH-1428, FH-1453, FH-1675, FH-1677, FH-
1682, FH-1685, FH-1720, FH-1724, FH-1731, FH-1740, FH-1744, NK-8441 and YH-5427)
were assessed using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications.
Each experiment unit possessed 4 × 1.5 m2 dimension. The spacing between plants was
maintained at 15 cm, while the distance between rows was 75 cm. Recommended levels of
NPK fertilizers were applied and crop protection practices were carried out to ensure optimal
plant health (Shehzad et al., 2019). At the maturity stage, ten plants of each hybrid from each
plot were randomly chosen to record data of F1 plant for all the traits. All the plants in each
experimental unit were considered for plot yield which latterly converted to kg/ha. These

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hybrids were sourced from the germplasm collection of the Maize Research Station, AARI
Faisalabad. The experimental plots were located on well-drained, clay loam soils.

Data Collection of Yield-Linked Traits

For this study, data of twelve traits i.e. plant height cm (PHt), ear height cm (ErHt),
days to 50% silking (Silk), ear length cm (ErL), ear girth cm (ErG), kernels/row (KeRo),
kernel length mm (KeL), kernel width mm (KeW), kernel thickness mm (KeTh), 100 kernel
weight (KW), shelling percent (Shell) and kernel yield kg/ha (Y) were taken. Kernel yield
(KY) was measured in kilogram/hectare (kg/ha) based on equation described by (Yousaf et
al., 2021).

Statistical Data Analysis

The collected data were statistically examined for analysis of variance (Steel, Torrie,
& Dickey, 1997) with Statistix 8.1. Mean data of all the traits was utilized to find the Pearson
Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using various libraries of R (Mallhi et
al., 2025).

Results:
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) unveiled that plant height, ear height, ear length, ear girth,
kernel/row, kernel length, kernel width, kernel thickness, 100 kernel weight, shelling %
found highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) variation, kernel yield possessed significant (p ≥ 0.05)
variation while days to 50% silking showed non-significant variation among 16 hybrids. It is
submitted that performances of hybrids were significantly different for all studied traits
except days to 50% silking.

Pearson Correlation of Grain Yield Components

The Pearson correlation coefficient measures the linear relationship between two variables.
Its values range from -1 (negative) to 1 (positive). The current correlation analysis revealed a
highly significant positive relationship between plant height and kernel width (0.72), 100-
kernel weight and ear length (0.68). In contrast, a negative relationship was observed between
kernel rows and kernel thickness (-0.64). A positive and significant correlation was found

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between ear height and plant height (0.60), 100-kernel weight and kernel rows (0.53), ear
length and kernel rows (0.52), as well as ear girth and kernel length (0.57). Conversely, a
negative and significant correlation was observed between 100-kernel weight and kernel
thickness (0-.51), as well as between kernel length and kernel thickness (-0.53). Kernel yield
(Y) showed a non-significant relationship with all traits and it exhibited relatively stronger
associations with kernel length (0.32) and kernel width (−0.36).

PCA Analysis of All Traits

Scree plot of principal component analysis (PCA) of all traits revealed that the first two
principal components explained 53.2 % of the total variance, capturing the major patterns in
the dataset. PC1 contributed 28.9 %, while PC2 accounted for 24.3% of the total variance.

Variables-PCA biplot (Figure 3C) is summarizing the relationship among twelve traits along
the first two PCs that explaining 53.2% of the total variation. The length and direction of each
trait arrow indicate the contribution and alignment among traits. Traits such as ErG, KeL and
Shell have long arrows pointing in a positive direction along PC1, indicating that these traits
strongly influence PC1 and positively correlated. KeW, PHt and Eht have a long arrow
pointing negatively along PC1, showing that it is negatively associated with these traits. Silk
and Y have relatively short arrows, indicating that their contributions to both PC1 and PC2
are smaller compared to other traits. Color gradient also confirmed that Silk and Y have
lower contributions compared to other traits. Angle between arrow revealed the strength of
relationship between variables. Small angles revealed high relationship, orthognola anlges
means no relaltionship, while opposite angle means negative relationship among variables.
KE, EL, KeRo are in the same direction with close anlge tells strong relationship among
them. In the similar way, KeW, PHt, EHt has the same relationship. Shell is in opposite
direction to EHt, PHt and KeW.

PCA-biplot (Figure D) is visualizing the distribution of 16 hybrids (shown in red) and their
relationship with 12 traits (shown in blue) along the first two PCs that showing 53.2%
variation. Hybrids located in the direction of a trait arrow are strongly associated with that
trait. For instance, hybrids like FH-1720 and YH-5427 are positioned toward the Silk and Y

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arrows, indicating these hybrids are characterized by higher values for these traits.
Conversely, hybrids such as FH-1428 and FH-1453, located near the EHt, PHt, KeW arrows,
are associated with higher ear height, plant height and kernel width values.

In conclusion, FH-1720 and YH-5427 are superior for traits such as grain yield (Y), silk,
shelling percentage (Shell), kernel length (KeL) and ear girth (ErG) while FH-1731, FH-1677
and FH-1400 excel in kernel width (KW), ear length (ErL) and kernel rows (KeRo).

Discussion:

ANOVA

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant/highly significant differences among

maize hybrids for eleven traits, as shown in Table 1. This indicates substantial genetic
variability within the breeding material. Similar findings were reported by (Rafique et al.,
2020), who observed highly significant variations for traits such as days to tasseling (DT),
days to silking (DS), plant height (PH), ear height (EH), 100 kernel weight (KW), kernel/cob
(KC), cob length (CL), cob width (CW) and grain yield (GY). The presence of considerable
genetic variability among the hybrid genotypes suggests that selective improvement of these
traits could effectively boost grain yield (Rafique et al., 2020; Rahman et al., 2017). The
study also found that the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 20% for all traits,
demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of the research conducted under field conditions.
Highly significant mean square (MS) results were observed for DS, PH, EH, ear length (EL),
ear width (EWid), rows per ear, kernels per ear and 1000-grain weight (GW), validating the
findings of (Rafique et al., 2020). Furthermore, (Tan et al., 2022) calculated CV values for
several traits: PH (8.7%), EH (15%), EL (7%), ear diameter (EDia) (6.6%), rows per ear
(11%), kernels per row (10%) and ear yield (10.3%). The findings of the current study align
with those of (A. Al-Naggar et al., 2020) who reported similar CV% ranges for DT (2.9%),
PH (6.7%), EH (9.6%), kernels per plant (3.2%), 1000-grain weight (8%) and grain yield
(5%).

Pearson Correlation Analysis:

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A positive and significant correlation was observed between plant height (PHt) and ear height
(EHt) (0.60), indicating that an increase in plant height leads to a corresponding increase in
ear height in the studied hybrids. However, excessive increases in PHt are undesirable, as
they can hinder yield improvement (-0.20) due to lodging. The negative association between
kernel thickness (KeTh) and kernel length (KeL) (-0.53) suggests that an increase in kernel
length reduces kernel thickness. This reduction, in turn, increases the number of kernels per
row, which shows a positive correlation with ear length (ErL) (0.52) and ultimately a positive
relationship with kernel weight (KW). (Sinana et al., 2023) supported the current study by
relating that ear yield has a positive and significant correlation with ear girth (0.55) and
kernels per row (0.28) but a non-significant correlation with EH (0.15). In contrast, the
positive relationship between grain yield and PH does not align with the findings of this
study.

Additionally, the study revealed that kernel length (KeL) positively influences kernel yield
(0.32) and ear girth (ErG) (0.57) but is negatively associated with kernel thickness (KeTh).
Thus, KeTh is not suitable for improving grain yield, kernel rows (KeRo) and ear girth.
(Rafique et al., 2020) reported highly significant and strong positive genotypic correlations
between cob length (CL) and kernel weight (KW) (0.798), CL and kernel count (KC) (0.986),
cob width (CW) and CL (0.901) as well as grain yield and KC (0.973), CL (0.846) and CW
(0.911). These findings partially support the current study. (Rafique et al., 2020) concluded
that the strong genotypic correlations are a result of genetic relationships among the studied
traits, which could prove effective for trait improvement.

(Yousaf et al., 2021) emphasized the need to improve positively and strongly associated traits
to enhance grain yield. Their findings revealed that grain yield has a negative and significant
relationship with PH but positive relationships with ear width, rows per ear and kernels per
ear. Non-significant correlations were found for EH, EL, DS, DT and 1000-grain weight
(KW), which align with the current study (Yousaf et al., 2022). Finally, current study
concluded that kernel yield in maize can be enhanced by improving KeL, KW, ErG, ErL and
KeRo.

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Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) has been widely used by researchers (AL-Asadi et al.,
2023; A. Al-Naggar et al., 2020; Rafique et al., 2020) to explore the relationships among
various traits and to identify the key traits contributing the most to overall variation. Grain
yield is a complex trait that requires a thorough understanding of the variability present
within the maize breeding population. For effective grain yield improvement, the selection of
parental lines should be based on substantial genetic diversity. This approach ensures a
broader range of combinations for specific traits, facilitating the identification of superior
hybrids for breeding programs (Patel et al., 2023).

Variance of first two principal components is 53.2% that align with (4) who calculated 58%
and described substantial capturing of variation by first two principal components (Figure
2A).

Grain yield is represented by a long arrow (Figure 2C), indicating the presence of sufficient
genetic variability among the hybrids. The arrowheads of traits such as ErG, KeL and Silk are
moving in the same direction as Y, indicating a positive relationship among these traits. This
suggests that kernel yield could be improved by enhancing these traits. The arrowheads of
KW, ErL and KeRo are also moving in the same direction, describing their dependence on
one another. This implies that KW can be improved by enhancing KeRo and ErL. (Rahman et
al., 2017) revealed that the maximum positive direct contribution for yield was influenced by
seed number/ear, 1000 seed weight and kernel length that is align with the current study.

On the other hand, the arrowheads of KeW, PHt and EHt are moving in the opposite direction
to Y, indicating a negative relationship. The arrow of KeTh is moving opposite to KeL and
ErG, signifying a negative relationship between these traits. (Long et al., 2024) reported that
ear length, 100-kernel weight, plant height, and ear height positively influenced grain yield.
In contrast, the current study revealed that plant height (PH) and ear height (EH) negatively
impacted grain yield.

Hence, hybrid development should cater to particular requirements to enhance the efficiency
of the breeding program. This strategy guarantees that hybrids are tailored to align with

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market demands, making the breeding process more targeted (Yousaf et al., 2021). By
focusing on the most critical traits, plant breeders can improve the overall effectiveness of
their hybrids (Yousaf et al., 2020).

PCA biplot (Figure 2D) shows a negative relationship between variables/traits and hybrids.
FH-1720 and YH-5427, which exhibited higher grain yields (9770 and 9132 kg/ha,
respectively), are placed near the Y arrow. Kernel yield and KeW arrows are in opposite
directions, indicating the difficulty in improving both traits simultaneously. FH-1428 and FH-
1453 perform better in KeW, PHt and EHt, indicating their close resemblance. KeTh is in the
1st quadrant with hybrid FH-1682, which is opposite to the 3rd quadrant traits ErG and KeL,
along with hybrid NK-8441.

Finally, this suggests that selecting for ErG and KeL traits can lead to significant genetic
gains in kernel yield. Additionally, PCA biplots revealed that some genotypes did better
across multiple traits, emphasizing their potential for breeding programs.

Summary:
It is concluded that a sufficient amount of variability exists among all traits of the 16 hybrids,
indicating that selection for enhancing maize grain yield would be effective. Pearson
correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between KeL and ErG, while KeRO and
KeTh showed a negative association. Furthermore, it is suggested that traits such as ErG and
KeL have the potential to achieve significant genetic gains in kernel yield (Y). PCA biplots
demonstrated that hybrids FH-1720 and YH-5427 are strongly associated with kernel yield.
Additionally, the biplots identified hybrids excelling across multiple traits, highlighting their
potential as candidates for future breeding programs.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of
any commercial or financial relationships that could be taken as a potential conflict of
interest.
Authors’ Contribution to Perform this Research
Order Name Contribution
1 Ahsan Raza Mallhi Design the experiment and support crop Production
2 Aamar Shehzad Make Figures and Tables , write manuscript
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3 Adila Shahzadi Data Analysis using R, Grammar correction

4 Muhammad Altaf Statistical Analysis and interpretation
5 Wasim Akbar Data collection and Analyze data using statistics
6 Aamir Ghani Data collection and Arrangement
7 Muhammad Saeed Make correction and review the article

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Table 1: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of Twelve Traits in Maize Hybrids

SOV PHt ErHt Silk ErL ErG KeRo KeL KeW KeTh KW Shell Y
Replication 42.78 9.03 12.51 0.32 0.05 0.13 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.26 0.28 4E+06
** ** NS ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *
Hybrid 373.94 133.7 5.26 2.61 0.13 22.26 1.90 0.61 0.47 16.22 9.59 4747655
Error 49.11 44.96 5.9 0.003 0.01 0.92 0.01 0.01 0.007 0.07 0.21 1E+06
CV% 4.97 11.31 4.17 0.33 2.01 2.43 0.96 1.39 1.94 3.87 3.55 15.1
Mean 140.91 59.28 58.25 17.71 4.43 39.5 11.36 8.47 4.4 31.04 84.22 7938
123.5- 42.5- 56- 14.05- 3.9- 32.5- 9.67- 7.47- 3.5- 24.26- 79.8- 4890-
Range
173.5 69.5 62.5 19.35 4.8 43.5 13.07 9.57 5.2 35.11 88.79 9770
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SOV: source of variation, d.f: degree of freedom, CV: coefficient of variation, * : significant at p≤
0.05, ** : significant at p≤ 0.01, NS : non-significant, PHt:plant height, ErHt:ear height, Silk:days to
50% silking, ErL:ear length, ErG:ear girth, KeRo:kernels/row, KeL:kernel length, KeW:kernel
width, KeTh:kernel thickness, KW:100 kernel weight, Shell:shelling %, Y:kernel yield

Figure 1: Pearson Correlation Analysis of Twelve Traits in Maize Hybrids

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Figure 2: Principal Components Analysis of Twelve Traits in Maize Hybrids

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