Abstract
Genetic variation and correlations among traits within a Ghanaian bird-resistant pearl millet landrace population were investigated by evaluating S1 plants derived from the population, at two locations and for two years in Ghana. The objectives were to study genetic variation and correlations among traits in the population, determine the feasibility of selection and to suggest appropriate selection methods and selection indices for effective improvement. There was significant genetic variation for grain yield and most yield component traits, indicating that selection within the population would be feasible. Genetic variation was, however not significant for the percent incidence of downy mildew, implying that selection for improving resistance to the disease would not be effective. Heritabilities ranged from moderate to high (0.4- 0.73) for most traits, in view of which the use of recurrent selection methods, with progeny testing, could be effective for improvement of the population. Grain yield was observed to have significant phenotypic and genotypic correlations with days to 50% blooming and with earhead length, indicating that those two traits could be relied upon as selection indices for selection to improve grain yield. However, significant positive correlations were also observed between earhead length and plant height, which is undesirable, as plants with tall height tend to have a low harvest index and are also prone to lodging. In view of this, caution would be needed during selection, in order to achieve an improved population with good grain yielding ability and not very tall plant height. Key words: Pearl millet, Ghanaian landrace, genetic variation, trait correlations, selection indices.
Highlights
Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum, (L.), R.Br.] is a cereal crop which is cultivated in the arid and semi arid zones, where the grain and vegetative products are used for human and animal consumption
Pearl millet production is low in most countries due to lack of high yielding improved varieties
Grain yield performances of S1 progenies pooled across years and locations covered a wide range (452 - 1632 kg ha1, not shown in tables)
Summary
Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum, (L.), R.Br.] is a cereal crop which is cultivated in the arid and semi arid zones, where the grain and vegetative products are used for human and animal consumption. It is an important crop for sustaining food security in poor environments, in view of its high tolerance to environmental stresses (Burton, 1983) and high content of nutrients (Singh and Nainawatee, 1999). Selection within the BLP population for improvement may improve its productivity as a cultivar for farmers and enhance its use as germplasm material for breeding work. Termine the feasibility of selection and to determine appropriate selection indices, methods and strategies for its improvement
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