RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Inbred parents and hybrids under study are rich in protein (8.08 to 11.34%), starch ( from 59.78 to 71.88%) and oil (from 3.30 to 4.59%) and very good expansion up to 28.4 cc/g was observed. Among parents, I-07-63-36-1 showed good expansion of 25.4 cc/g while also having good amount of protein (10.02%), starch (64.91%) and oil (3.97%). In case of hybrid, I-07-63-1-2 x I-07-63-36-1 showed high expansion of 28.2 cc/g with higher amount of protein (10.54% ), starch (64.89%) and oil (4.03%). The cross I-07-43-7-3 x I-07-35-7-3 possessed the highest oil content of 4.59%. The performance per se of the selected parents and hybrids is presented in Table 1. The analysis of variance for all studied traits was highly significant, indicating the existence of sufficient variation in the studied material. The diallelic pairing ANOVA showed highly significant estimates of both GCA and SCA for all traits. Quadratic components associated with the SCA effect were greater than GCA for all traits evaluated, which revealed a preponderance of nonadditive gene action for inheritance (Table 2). Similar results on the predominant role of nonadditive genetic action of traits were found for grain yield per plant, protein, starch, and oil contents in normal maize (3); days to flowering and maturity, plant height, grain yield, and shoot expansion (22); for grain yield and pop expansion (18); for plant height, grain yield per plant, and snap expansion (9, 10). To exploit hybrid vigor, performance per se, the extent of heterosis, and SCA effects of hybrids are important tools. The value of heterosis with their magnitude and significance of the selected hybrids is presented in Table 3. The selection of hybrids ...... middle of the document ...... International (P) Limited, Publishers.17. Scapim CA, Pinto RJB, Amaral JAT, Mora F (2006) Plant race. Appl. Biotechnology, 6: 136-143.18. Silva VQR, Amaral JAT, Gonçalves LSA, Freitas JSP, Candido LS, Vittorazzi C, Moterle LM, Vieira RA & SCApim CA (2010) Genet. Mol. Res., 9(3): 1742-1750.19. Silva VQR, Amaral JAT, Gonçalves LSA, Freitas JSP, Candido LS, Vittorazzi C, Moterle LM, Vieira RA & SCApim CA (2011) Acta Scientiarum. Agronomy, Maringá, 33(2): 243-249.20. Turner JH (1953) Agron. J., 45: 487-490.21. Vieira RA, SCApim CA, Tessmann DJ & Hata FT (2011) Rev. Ciênc. Agron., 42(3): 774-780.22. Vijayabharathi A, Anandakumar CR and Gnanamalar RP (2009) Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 1: 28-32.23. Wali MC, Kachapur RM, Chandrashekhar CP, Kulkarni VR and Devara Navadagi SB (2010) Karnataka J. Agric. Skiing.,23 (4): 557-562.