Performance and Stability of Pearl Millet Varieties for Grain Yield and Micronutrients in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of India

Sanjana Reddy, P and Satyavathi, C T and Khandelwal, V and Patil, H T and Gupta, P C and Sharma, L D and Mungra, K D and Singh, S P and Narasimhulu, R and Bhadarge, H H and Iyanar, K and Tripathi, M K and Yadav, D and Bhardwaj, R and Talwar, A M and Tiwari, V K and Kachole, U G and Sravanti, K and Shanthi Priya, M and Athoni, B K and Anuradha, N and Govindaraj, M and Nepolean, T and Tonapi, V A (2021) Performance and Stability of Pearl Millet Varieties for Grain Yield and Micronutrients in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of India. Frontiers in Plant Science (TSI), 12. pp. 1-16. ISSN 1664-462X

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Abstract

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is grown under both arid and semi-arid conditions in India, where other cereals are hard to grow. Pearl millet cultivars, hybrids, and OPVs (open pollinated varieties) are tested and released by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet (AICRP-PM) across three zones (A1, A, and B) that are classified based on rainfall pattern. Except in locations with extreme weather conditions, hybrids dominate pearl millet growing areas, which can be attributed to hybrid vigor and the active role of the private sector. The importance of OPVs cannot be ruled out, owing to wider adaptation, lower input cost, and timely seed availability to subsidiary farmers cultivating this crop. This study was conducted to scrutinize the presently used test locations for evaluation of pearl millet OPVs across India, identify the best OPVs across locations, and determine the variation in grain Fe and Zn contents across locations in these regions. Six varieties were evaluated across 20 locations in A1 and A (pooled as A) and B zones along with three common checks and additional three zonal adapted checks in the respective zones during the 2019 rainy season. Recorded data on yield and quality traits were analyzed using genotype main effects and genotype × environment interaction biplot method. The genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was found to be highly significant for all the grain yield and agronomic traits and for both micronutrients (iron and zinc). However, genotypic effect (G) was four (productive tillers) to 49 (grain Fe content) times that of G × E interaction effect for various traits across zones that show the flexibility of OPVs. Ananthapuramu is the ideal test site for selecting pearl millet cultivars effectively for adaptation across India, while Ananthapuramu, Perumallapalle, and Gurugram can also be used as initial testing locations. OPVs MP 599 and MP 600 are identified as ideal genotypes, because they showed higher grain and fodder yields and stability compared with other cultivars. Iron and zinc concentration showed highly significant positive correlation (across environment = 0.83; p < 0.01), indicating possibility of simultaneous effective selection for both traits. Three common checks were found to be significantly low yielders than the test entries or zonal checks in individual zones and across India, indicating the potential of genetic improvement through OPVs.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : Asia
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Representative, G × E, GGE-biplot, Iron, Zinc, Grain yield, Fodder yield
Subjects:	Mandate crops > Millets > Pearl Millet Others > Plant Nutrition
Depositing User:	Mr Arun S
Date Deposited:	04 Jun 2021 08:17
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2021 08:17
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11834
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.670201
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding of this research from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research—Indian Institute of Millets Research and All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet.
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