Agronomic Performance of Selected Cultivars of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.R.Br.) and their Hybrids in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out simultaneously during the rainy season of 2004 and 2005 at the Faculty of Agriculture Research Farm, University of Maiduguri and School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Yola Nigeria. The study evaluated the agronomic performance of pearl millet lines and their hybrids. The experiments consisted of 10 pearl millet lines and their 45 hybrids laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed significant difference among the population of pearl millet evaluated. Differences were also statistically significant in years and locations for all the characters studied, implying that variation existed in years and locations of the study, confirming the difference existing in the two locations, which could be as result of differential rainfall pattern and soil type. The high level of variability existing among a particular population is desirable, because the amount of improvement that could be obtained by selection in crop plants is dependent on it. The mean performance of the parental lines and their hybrids relatively showed distinct agronomic superiority in most of the characters over others. The study recommends ACC-1022-1-2SPT, BONKOK-SHORT and IMV11-3-3 SPT as potentially early maturing lines. The study also recommends the hybrids, LCIC9702xLCIC9703-27, IMV11-3-3SPTxLCIC9702 and BONKOK-SHORTxIMV11-3-3SPT as potentially early maturing and suitable for regions with marginal rainfall, especially northeastern Nigeria. The study further recommends, the parental lines ACC-1022-2SPT, SOSAT-C88 and the hybrids, DMR22xLCIC9702 and DMR43xLCIC9702 for high production of total grain yield. These superior performing parental lines and their hybrids can be subjected to further selection for improved pearl millet crop in a breeding