TY  - JOUR
AV  - public
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091508
IS  - 1508
PB  - MDPI
TI  - Three-Way Top-Cross Hybrids to Enhance Production of Forage with Improved Quality in Pearl Millet  
(Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.)
A1  - Gupta, S K
A1  - Govintharaj, P
A1  - Bhardwaj, R
N1  - This work was financially supported by the ICRISAT?Pearl Millet Hybrid Par-ents Research Consortium (PMHPRC).
SN  - 2077-0472
VL  - 12(9)
N2  - Three-way top-cross hybrids of pearl millet were evaluated along with a popular single- cross check hybrid (PAC 981) for forage yield and quality traits under a multi-cut (three cuts) system across multiple years, seasons and sites in India. Total green forage yield (TGFY) varied from 36 to 53 t ha?1, and two hybrids outyielded the check hybrid for both total dry forage yield (TDFY) and forage quality (CP; Crude protein, and IVOMD; In vitro organic matter digestibility) traits. A set of promising three-way top-cross hybrids evaluated along with a set of promising open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) and top-cross hybrids for forage-related traits over two years under a multi-cut system revealed that the mean TDFY of three-way top-cross hybrids was higher than the mean TDFY of top-cross hybrids, followed by OPVs. Also, three-way top-cross hybrids had higher/or at par forage quality traits such as CP and IVOMD in comparison to other types of cultivars. TDFY had no correlation with CP and IVOMD across cuts in three-way top-cross hybrids, indicating that forage quantity and quality traits can be improved independently of each other. Overall, three-way top-cross hybrids were found to be a better pearl millet cultivar option than other types of cultivars.
SP  - 1
Y1  - 2022///
EP  - 16
ID  - icrisat12011
KW  - Open-pollinated Varieties
KW  -  Top-cross hybrids
KW  -  Three-way top-cross hybrids
KW  -  Forage yield
KW  -  Forage quality
JF  - Agriculture (TSI)
ER  -