Understanding how different types of maize plants can be combined to create high-yielding hybrids is crucial for maize breeding. By studying a diverse group of maize plants, researchers found that certain inbred lines showed strong combining abilities, leading to hybrids with excellent performance. They also discovered that hybrids combining temperate and tropical maize had higher yield potential. Traits like grain number per row and per ear were key for predicting yield heterosis. Specific combining ability was more important than general combining ability for predicting heterosis. This study provides valuable insights for developing effective breeding strategies and improving maize breeding efficiency by using a wide range of maize germplasm.