TY  - JOUR
AV  - restricted
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2014.06.0450
PB  - Crop Science Society of America, Inc
TI  - Agro-morphological Characterization of West
and Central African Pearl Millet Accessions
A1  - Pucher, A
A1  - Sy, O
A1  - Angarawai, I I
A1  - Gondah, J
A1  - Zangre, R
A1  - Ouedraogo, Mahamadi
A1  - Sanogo, M D
A1  - Boureima, S
A1  - Hash, C T
A1  - Haussmann, I G
N1  - In remembrance of the late Siaka Boureima (1965?2007), the
authors would like to emphasize his valuable contribution to
this research and to pearl millet breeding in WCA in general.
The field research presented here was funded by the German
Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ, GIZ Project No. 05.7860.9-001.00). Further, we thank
the McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program
for the discretionary research funds provided to Bettina
I.G. Haussmann, used to support Anna Pucher. This publication
was finalized as part of the CGIAR Research Program on
Dryland Cereals.
SN  - 1435-0653
VL  - 55
N2  - Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] was
domesticated in Sahelian West Africa. This highly
outcrossing crop is one of the most important
staple cereals in the semiarid tropics, adapted to
very harsh rain-fed conditions. Agro-morphological
characterization of local germplasm is very
important to better understand existing diversity,
ease targeted genetic broadening of breeding
populations, and potentially link this knowledge
to genotypic information. The objectives of our
study were to (i) characterize West and Central
African (WCA) pearl millet accessions based on
their agro-morphological traits; (ii) evaluate the
possibility to group accessions based on their
agro-morphological characteristics; (iii) determine
geographic patterns of phenotypic differentiation;
and (iv) derive conclusions for pearl millet
improvement in WCA. A total of 360 early-tomedium
maturity accessions were phenotyped
for 12 agro-morphological traits at six environments
in WCA. Wide ranges of all observed traits
indicated a high diversity of the tested accessions.
Principal component analysis revealed
very large diversity within individual countries,
especially within Mali and Burkina Faso. Some
limited grouping of accessions from Niger, Senegal,
Cameroon, Morocco, and Mauritania was
observed for individual principal component
axes. Geographical differentiation and country
differences were detected for several traits. The
results and data presented in our study reflect
WCA pearl millets? tremendous diversity and
adaptability to a wide range of environments and
give a sound basis for breeders to select and utilize
this germplasm to serve the manifold needs
of WCA pearl millet farmers.
SP  - 737
Y1  - 2015/02/24/
EP  - 748
ID  - icrisat9202
KW  - Pearl Millet
KW  -  Central Africa
KW  -  Cereal
KW  -  Plant Material
KW  -  Phenotypic Evaluation
KW  -  Pearl Millet Diversity
KW  -  Breeding
JF  - Crop Science
ER  -