Maize (Zea mays L.), the most important food crop in Malawi, forms the staple carbohydrate source for most of the population. With an average population growth of 3.3% per annum, the country needs new approaches to complement traditional methods to feed the population and improve the quality of life. A program was initiated in 1999/2000 with 18 Malawi elite breeding lines, grouped based on their inherent resistance or susceptibility to diseases. In addition, the lines were placed in heterotic groupings to facilitate choice of crosses and thereby produce desired Malawi-based hybrid varieties. The 18 varieties were selected based on multiple disease-resistant traits as well as their potential for high yield, flintiness and husk cover, under varying ecological zones during 2002/03. Field performance of these varieties was evaluated in 9 sites during the 2003/04 season and compared with two commercial checks in a 4 x 5 balanced-lattice design with 4 plots to a block, replicated 3 times. Results showed that out of the 18 varieties tested against two checks, MH 18 and DK 8071, sites Bvumbwe and Nkhande had the highest scores of 2.7, followed by Bembeke and Lunyangwa with 2.0. These sites are ‘hotspot’ areas for diseases, especially gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis). Varieties CZR 88, DK 8071 (Monsanto), CZH 73, 83 and 80 showed good resistance to turcicum leaf blight disease. The best yields were obtained from CZR 8, 76, 81, 83, 88, CZH 059, 70, 80, 83 with yields up to 7 t ha–1. All varieties had flint-textured grain and excellent husk cover, with average scores of 1.9. These varieties are candidates for release after the 2004/05 season and will complement the already released hybrid varieties CZR 3, 4 and 8, developed and released through the Rockefeller-funded Maize Pathology Project.