Relationship of grain iron and zinc content with grain yield in pearl millet hybrids

Kanatti, A and Rai, K N and Radhika, K and Govindaraj, M and Sahrawat, K L and Srinivasu, K and Shivade, H (2014) Relationship of grain iron and zinc content with grain yield in pearl millet hybrids. Crop Improvement, 41 (1). pp. 91-96. ISSN 2231-4563

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Abstract

Development of pearl millet cultivars with high levels of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content can make significant contribution to reducing widespread deficiencies of these micronutrients in populations heavily dependent on staple cereals for their dietary energy and nutritional requirements. It is imperative that breeding of such cultivars must not compromise on grain yield and farmer-preferred traits. Multi-location evaluation of two sets of hybrids with differing genetic composition showed that Fe and Zn contents had highly significant and high positive correlations in both sets of hybrids and in all environments, and they were not correlated with grain weight, implying simultaneous genetic improvement of both micronutrients in large-seeded background is likely to be effective. Both micronutrients had moderate to low negative correlations with grain yield in both sets of hybrids, although not always significant. Such associations might have resulted due to the involvement of inidia germplasm as a common“Source— of high Fe and Zn content in both male and female parents, thereby reducing the genetic diversity between the parental lines for traits associated with heterosis for grain yield. Whether this could also be due to natural negative association between genetic factors for these micronutrients on one hand and grain yield on the other merits further studies through selection experiments using genomic tools as the resolution of this issue has a direct bearing on breeding high-yielding hybrids with high levels of Fe and Zn content in pearl millet

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	RP-Dryland Cereals
CRP:	CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Pennisetum glaucum, micronutrients, biofortification, correlation
Subjects:	Mandate crops > Millets
Depositing User:	Mr T L Gautham
Date Deposited:	30 Jul 2015 06:36
Last Modified:	06 Oct 2015 08:24
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/8894
Official URL:
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	UNSPECIFIED
Links:	Google Scholar

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