Two diallel sets (15 and 45 ‘i hybrids) were used
in this work during two two successive seasons 1985 and
1986 to estimate the correlation coefficients as well as
path coefficient analysis to determine the direct and indi
rect effects of some charecters contributing to the yield
of maize.
Results indicated positive and significant correlations
between grain yield per plant and each of number of kernels
per row, number of rows per ear and 100-kernel weight,
in the first set. Whereas, positive and highly significant
correlations were obtained between grain yield per plant
and each of number of kernels per row and number of rows
per ear in the second set.
Weight of lOO kernels appeared to have the highest
direct effect on grain yield in the first set, whereas,
both number of kernels per row and number of rows per ear
had the highest and positive direct effect on yield in
the second set.
Also, results showed that the most important sources
of variation for plant yield (71.63%) in the first set
were: direct effect of 100—kernel weight, direct effect
of number of rows p.r ear, and indirect effect of number
of kernels per row through 100-kernel weight. In the second
set of study, the main sources of variation (61.88%) were:
Direct effect of number of rows per ear, direct effect
of number of kernels per row, and the indirect effect of

number of rows per ear via number of kernels per row.