Pearl millet germplasm adapted to saline conditions

Kulkarni, V N and Rai, K N and Dakheel, A J and Ibrahim, M and Hebbara, M and Vadez, V (2006) Pearl millet germplasm adapted to saline conditions. International Sorghum and Millets Newsletter, 47. pp. 103-106.

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Abstract

Soil salinity is a major crop production constraint affecting approximately 77 million ha worldwide (5–7% of arable land). This problem has been observed to be getting further aggravated (Munns et al. 2002). Development and adoption of salinity-tolerant crop varieties is a cost-effective and sustainable approach to managing salt-affected lands (Epstein et al. 1980). Among the warm-season cereal crops, pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is comparatively more tolerant to salinity (Hajor et al. 1996). Wide genetic variability for salinity tolerance has been reported in pearl millet (Dua and Bhattacharya 1988; Ashraf and McNeilly 1992; Chopra and Chopra 1997). The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India, in collaboration with ICBA, has initiated a project to improve salinity tolerance in pearl millet. Highly significant positive correlation (r >0.65; P >0.01) has been observed between biomass yield under saline pot conditions and salinity tolerance index, indicating that biomass yield itself can be used as an effective selection criterion to select for salinity tolerance and biomass productivity under saline conditions (ICBA 2004). Among a large number and diverse range of materials, 45 germplasm accessions of diverse origin, selected on the basis of their high forage and grain yield potential, were screened for yield performance under saline conditions in pot culture at ICBA. This paper reports on the origin of accessions identified from these pot studies for adaptation to saline conditions and their yield potential under saline field situations in India and West Asia.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Subjects: Mandate crops > Millets
Depositing User: Library ICRISAT
Date Deposited: 11 Sep 2011 11:17
Last Modified: 02 Jan 2012 09:01
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/1124
Official URL:
Projects: UNSPECIFIED
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement: UNSPECIFIED
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