Pearl Millet Breeding for Enhancing Yield and Stability: Strategies, Achievements, and Perspectives

Yadav, O P and Gupta, S K and Reddy, P S (2024) Pearl Millet Breeding for Enhancing Yield and Stability: Strategies, Achievements, and Perspectives. In: Pearl Millet in the 21st Century Food-Nutrition-Climate resilience-Improved livelihoods. Springer, Singapore, pp. 331-360. ISBN 978-981-99-5890-0

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Abstract

Pearl millet is cultivated under the most adverse agro-climatic conditions challenged by low and erratic rainfall, high mean temperature, high potential evaporation, and infertile and shallow soils with poor water holding capacity resulting in the huge temporal and spatial variation in its productivity and unstable production. The objective of this chapter is to review the strategies for achieving higher productivity and greater stability in India and Africa and to suggest future approaches and necessary interventions in pearl millet breeding meet the forthcoming challenges to provide higher and stable yields. The major strategies for enhancing yield included strategic use of germplasm resources and cultivar development (mostly hybrids) with targeted traits as per the requirement of production ecologies. On the other hand, the approach to augmenting stability has been improving genetic resistance to diseases, increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses, and addressing regional adaptation. Following the adoption of high-yielding, disease-resistant and drought-tolerant cultivars and crop production technology, pearl millet productivity has been consistently increasing in India. In view of increasing demand of pearl millet grain and stover in future, the higher yields are to be targeted. Pearl millet cultivation is likely to become more challenging because of predicted intense drought stress, rise in temperature, and greater disease incidences in sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia; yields must be increased at a much faster rate with greater stability in challenging agro-ecologies. Speed breeding and molecular-marker assisted breeding are going to play a very important role to enhance genetic gains in future. Heterotic grouping of hybrid parental lines would be an important strategy to increase the magnitude of heterosis on a long-term basis. Mainstreaming the bio-fortification is essentially needed to amalgamate higher productivity with nutritional traits to address both energy and micronutrient malnutrition issues.

Item Type: Book Section
Divisions: Global Research Program - Accelerated Crop Improvement
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: Pearl millet, Hybrid breeding, Food security, Nutritional security, Climate resilience
Subjects: Mandate crops > Millets > Pearl Millet
Others > Food and Nutrition
Others > Food Security
Depositing User: Mr Nagaraju T
Date Deposited: 19 Feb 2024 03:22
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2024 03:22
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/12484
Acknowledgement: UNSPECIFIED
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