The study looked at different types of maize plants to see how they vary in important traits like seed yield and cob weight. They found that some traits, like seed yield per plant, are mostly influenced by genes passed down from parents, while others are more affected by new gene combinations. This means that some maize plants are better for breeding new varieties, while others are not as useful. Overall, the research showed that certain traits in maize are more likely to be inherited and improved through selective breeding.