Utility of pearl millet landraces in breeding dual-purpose hybrids for arid zone environments of India |
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Authors: | Om Parkash Yadav Francis R Bidinger Dharam V Singh |
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Institution: | (1) Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, 342 003, India;(2) International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, 502 324, India |
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Abstract: | In pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), single cross hybrids based largely on exotic germplasm, have found very limited adoption in drought-prone arid
regions mainly due to their inadequate adaptation to prevalent extremely harsh agro-climatic conditions. This study tested
the hypothesis that the use of restorer parents derived from adapted landrace germplasm could be an alternative strategy in
developing suitable hybrids for arid regions. Forty inbred restorer lines developed from two phenotypically diverse landraces
were used to develop hybrids evaluated in this study for their performance in five typical arid zone environments between
2003 and 2007. Inbred lines from both landrace populations differed significantly in their combining ability for biomass,
harvest index and grain and stover yields. A larger proportion of experimental hybrids, based on selected inbred lines, significantly
outperformed the commercial checks for grain and stover yields. Increase in grain and stover yields was achieved primarily
due to their higher biomass productivity, with no decline in harvest index. Choice of landrace determined the relative grain
and stover productivity of their hybrids. Phenotypic differences observed in parental landraces in tillering and panicle length
were also visible in their respective hybrids, indicating that characteristics of landrace parental populations were transmitted
in their hybrids. |
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Keywords: | Drought Arid zone Breeding Hybrids Pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum |
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