Optimizing seed quality during germplasm regeneration in pearl milletN KRaoauthorP JBramelauthorK NReddyauthorS DSinghauthorA GGirishauthorS ARaoauthorVMahalakshmiauthorThe effect of water stress during flowering and grain filling on seed longevity was studied in three pearl millet genotypes,ICTP-8202, ICTP-8203 and MBH-110. The seeds were produced by three pollination methods; open pollination, selfing(individual panicles enclosed in paper bags), and cluster bagging (panicles from 3–4 adjacent plants enclosed in a paper bag), stored in air-tight plastic bottles underambient conditions (20–40 °C,30–80%RH) and germination was tested at 12-month'sintervals. The seeds lost germination completely after six years ofstorage in all treatments. Analysis of variance of the estimates of potential seed longevity (i.e. the seed lot constantK i of the seed viabilityequation) showed significant effects of water stress andpollination method (P < 0.01). The interaction between irrigation treatment and method of pollination control was also significant (P < 0.05). Averaged over genotypes and pollination methods,potential longevity was greatest(K i = 2.8) in theirrigated control, and averaged over genotypes and irrigationtreatments, it was greatest (K i= 3.1) in seeds produced by open pollination. Theimplications of these results were discussed in relation to germplasmseed productionMillets2002Kluwer AcademicArticle