Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding
The major requirement of pearl millet [Pennisetum gJaucum
(L.) R. Sr.] breeding programmes targeting environmentally
frC!gile arid regions is to breed genetically diverse materials
that are both adapted to environmental stresses and also
have an improved yield potential to allow them to respond
to favourable conditions in good rainfall seasons. Genetic
diversification of indigenous landraces using selected
exotic, elite sources couid be an effective mean to achieve
this objective. This study evaluated 13 diverse, exotic
populations for their phenotypic characteristics, their
productivity under arid zone conditions, and their potential
usefulness as sources of diversification for local landraces.
The biomass productivity, which was the major determinant
of both grain and stover productivity, varied between 747
9 m-2 and 942 g m-2. A higher panicle number and early
flowering favored greater grain yield, while later flowering
and greater height fC!vored higher stover yield. Although
biomass and HI were negatively correlated, grain yield
was similarly and positively correlated to both, suggesting
that both biomass accumulation and its partitioning to
grain are important in determining grain yield performance
in arid environments. The best populations for grain yield
were ICMV 98792, MCNELC and ICMP 96132, which
outyielded two improved checks (Raj 171 and CZP 923)
by 16-24%. The magnitude of superiority of best
populations over two checks for stover yield was 55-83%.
There existed a good opportunity to select exotic sources
with different combinations of panicle length and tillering.
In addition, the downy mildew reaction of elite exotic
sources is not likely to be a deterrent factor in utilizing
the selected elite populations as sources of diversification
of landraces
Keywords: Pearl millet, adaptation, genetic diversification, exotic germplasm, landraces
Year: 2005
Volume: 65
Issue: 1
Article DOI: NA
Print ISSN: 0019-5200
Online ISSN: 0975-6906
O. P. Yadav, B. Sahai, F. R. Bidinger and A. G. Bhasker Raj info_circle
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