Provitamin A quality protein maize (PVA-QPM), as a cost-effective staple maize with improved nutritional quality, has the potential to address malnutrition in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective was to identify early maturing Turcicum leaf blight (TLB)-resistant PVA-QPM hybrids and lines with promising grain quality and yield. There are significant yield discrepancies among the selected PVA-QPM hybrids, with five hybrids - TZEIORQ 11 × TZEIORQ 20, TZEIORQ 11 × TZEIORQ 24, TZEIORQ 20 × TZEIORQ 24, TZEIORQ 22× TZEIORQ 42 and TZEIORQ 24 × TZEIORQ 42 - standing out with an average yield of 6.91 t.ha-1. The inbreds TZEQI 82 and TZEIORQ 69 exhibited notably low disease scores. The inbreds TZEIORQ 2, TZEIORQ 11, TZEIORQ 20, and TZEIORQ 70 displayed exceptional characteristics. There were significant mean squares of specific combining ability (SCA) and general combining a...

Provitamin A quality protein maize (PVA-QPM) is crucial for preventing vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition, widespread public health challenges a public health issue affecting millions, especially children and pregnant women in developing countries. Knowledge of the relationships between maize grain yield, carotenoid levels and quality protein, with their underlying genetic factors, is necessary for developing successful selection strategies for better maize cultivars. The study evaluated the genetic associations and factors optimizing grain yield, carotenoid profiles, and protein quality among newly developed early-maturing, high-performing PVA-QPM inbred lines. Two growing of testing were conducted on ten early PVA-QPM inbreds and two commercial maize hybrid controls under rainfed conditions at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin. All nutritional traits an...