Abstract:
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crucial cereal crop in Ethiopia, serving as a primary source of food,
feed, and income for millions of people. However, its productivity remains significantly
below the global average due to various challenges, including declining genetic purity, a lack
of improved and adaptable varieties, and both biotic and abiotic stresses. Understanding
genetic purity and diversity is essential for enhancing crop productivity. This study aimed to
assess the genetic purity of selected Ethiopian commercial maize hybrids and the diversity
among their parental lines, utilizing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from three
geographic regions of the country. Genomic DNA was extracted following the CTAB-based
DArT protocol. In this study, the hybrids like, AMH854, AMH851, MH141, MH138Q,
BHQPY545, BH549, BH547, AMH800 AMH852Q, AMH853 and AMH850 were genetically
pure. But, AMHO2SYN, BH661, and BH546 displayed genetic purity loss, indicated by
residual heterozygosity in their parental lines. Of the 20 SSR markers examined, 19 were
polymorphic, yielding a total of 101 alleles. The number of alleles per marker ranged from 3
to 8, with an average of 5.31.
