Genetic Diversity for Zinc, Calcium and Iron Content of Selected Little Millet Genotypes

Abstract

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. ex. Roem. and Schultz.) is an important indigenous small millets crop. The nutritional quality of little millet grain is superior to major cereals. The present experiment was carried out to identify the sources of zinc, iron and calcium rich genotypes. within this objectives 30 selected high yielding genotypes comprising of 26 germplasm accessions and four check varieties viz., CO2, CO3, CO (Samai) 4 and OLM 203 were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications during summer, 2013 (Jan-May) at Millets Breeding Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. All the 30 genotypes were subjected for grain nutrient analysis (zinc, iron and calcium) using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Nutrient analysis results revealed that zinc, iron and calcium contents in dehusked grains of little millet genotypes differed significantly among the genotypes. The zinc content was varied from 2.04 to 8.00 mg/g with a mean of 5.23 mg/g. Wide variation in iron content was observed and it ranged from 1.49 to 23.38 mg/g with a mean of 4.95 mg/g. The grain calcium content ranged from 1.14 to 13.15 mg/g with a mean of 3.90 mg/g. The genotypes TNPsu 25 (8.00 mg/g), TNPsu 23 (7.42 mg/g), TNPsu 21(6.95 mg/g) and TNPsu 9 (6.85 mg/g) had higher zinc content. Similarly the accessions TNPsu 23 (23.38 mg/g) and TNPsu 22 (19.22 mg/g) were superior in grain iron content. The CO3 (13.15 mg/g), CO2 (8.45 mg/g), TNPsu 141 (8.23 mg/g) and CO2 (Samai) 4 (6.52 mg/g) were some of the accessions which had significantly higher calcium content when compared to standard check varieties. A few of the genotypes like TNPsu 25, TNPsu 23 and TNPsu 22 were rich in zinc and iron contents and TNPsu 141 was rich in zinc and calcium contents.