SELECTION CRITERIA FOR GRAIN YIELD IMPROVEMENT IN FINGER MILLET AT HIGH ALTITUTDE

Abstract

Higher elevations of hills pose a regular proplem for genotype - environment interactions due to short growing season. More often, temperature stress affects the physiological processes of cultivar that determine growth and yield [1]. The cultivars of finger millet show late emergence of panicles when exposed to sub-optimum temperatures during vegetative growth inspite of having favourable day length to initiate flowering [2]. Duration of grain filling or· grain growth is prolonged· as a consequence of low atmospheric temperature at post floral growth [3-6]. As a result, grain production of finger millet is not fully realized at higher elevations in hills of north India.