Genetic Insights from Line × Tester analysis of Maize Lethal Necrosis testcrosses for developing multi-stress-resilient hybrids in Sub-Saharan Africa

A systematic evaluation of maize hybrid performance and combining ability was conducted to enhance resistance to maize lethal necrosis (MLN), drought tolerance, and grain yield (GY) in eastern and southern Africa. Thirty-eight early- to intermediate-maturing maize inbred lines, including MLN-tolerant and high-yielding genotypes with drought tolerance and resistance to multiple foliar and insect pests, were crossed with 29 single-cross testers to generate 437 testcross hybrids. These hybrids were evaluated under managed MLN inoculation, drought stress, and optimum conditions across multiple locations. Continuous variation in GY, disease severity, and agronomic traits confirmed quantitative inheritance, with strong positive correlations between GY and ears per plant and negative correlations between MLN severity and yield. Variance analyses revealed highly significant genotypic and genotype × environment interactions, with additive effects predominating across environments (Baker’s ratios 0.85–0.99; heritability 0.69–0.88), supporting effective selection based on general combining ability (GCA). Superior MLN-tolerant hybrids, such as (CKLMARSI0037/CKLTI0139)//CKDHL120312, achieved up to 5.75 t ha ⁻ ¹ under MLN, exceeding commercial checks by over fivefold. Under optimum and drought conditions, top hybrids maintained high yield, foliar disease resistance, short anthesis–silking intervals, and delayed senescence. Specific combining ability (SCA) effects highlighted stress-specific non-additive interactions, particularly under drought, underscoring the need for targeted parental selection. GCA analyses identified across environment and environment-specific favorable parents, including CKDHL120312, CKDHL140910, CKLMARSI0037/CKLTI0139, and CML322/CML543, while GGE biplots confirmed tester discrimination and representativeness. These findings demonstrate that integrating MLN resistance, drought tolerance, and high yield is achievable without compromising other agronomic performance. The study provides a robust framework for selecting elite parents and testers, exploiting additive and non-additive genetic effects, and developing resilient, high-performing maize hybrids for sub-Saharan Africa.