Genetic Variability for Panicle Characters in Indigenous and Exotic Barnyard Millet(Echinochloa frumentacea(Roxb.) Link) Germplasm Over Environment

Abstract

Total 65 barnyard millet indigenous and exotic accessions were evaluated for genetic variability for eight panicle traits viz., earhead length, earhead width, lower raceme length, number of racemes, single earhead weight, grain weight per earhead, thousand grain weight and grain yield per plant at four different environments. A wide range of variability both at genotypic and phenotypic level was observed for all the characters studied. The difference between PCV and GCV was low for all the traits studied, which indicated little influence of environment over phenotype of the traits. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance observed in the present study for the traits viz., earhead width, grain weight per earhead, single earhead weight, grain yield per plant and earhead length at four locations indicates that these traits are under the influence of additive gene action. Selection based on these characters would be effective for future barnyard millet crop improvement programme.