Development of crop cultivars with elevated levels of micronutrients is being increasingly recognized as one of the approaches to provide sustainable solutions to various health problems associated with micronutrient malnutrition, especially in developing countries. To assess the prospects of this approach in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), a diverse range of genetic materials, consisting of 40 hybrid parents, 30 each of population progenies and improved populations, and 20 germplasm accessions, was analysed for grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content, deficiencies of which adversely affect human health. Based on the mean performance in two seasons at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India, large variability among the entries was found, both for Fe (30.1-75.7 mg/kg on dry weight basis) and Zn (24.5-64.8 mg/kg). The highest levels of grain Fe and Zn were observed in well-adapted commercial varieties and their progenies, and in the parental lines of hybrids, which were either entirely based on iniari germplasm, or had large components of it in their parentage. There were indications of large within-population genetic variability for both Fe and Zn. The correlation between Fe and Zn content was positive and highly significant (r ¼ 0.84; P < 0.01). These results indicate that there are good prospects of simultaneous selection for both micronutrients, and that selection within populations, especially those with the predominantly iniari germplasm, is likely to provide good opportunities for developing pearl millet varieties and hybrid parents with significantly improved grain Fe and Zn content in pearl millet.
Inheritance of male sterility and fertility restoration of the A 1 system of cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterility in pearl millet was investigated using 12 crosses among three diverse male sterile lines (A-lines) and four diverse restorers (R-lines). Individual plants from R-lines were used to make crosses on A-lines. The segregation pattern of male sterile (S) and male fertile (F) plants observed in F 2 and BC 1 in two seasons at ICRISAT, Patancheru was suggestive more likely of a single-gene control of male sterility and fertility restoration. However, a 3-gene model of male sterility/fertility restoration where dominant alleles at any two of the three duplicate complimentary loci will lead to male fertility could not be ruled out, nor could be ruled out a 2-gene control with duplicate interaction. There was indication of variability even within a highly inbred R-line for fertility restoration gene(s). Depending on the genetic constitution of the R-lines at these loci, even the 3-gene model can lead to single-gene segregation ratios as observed in most of the F 2 s and backcrosses, and 2-gene ratios as observed in a few F 2 s and backcrosses. The deviations from these expected ratios in some of the crosses influenced by modifiers and environmental conditions generally resulted from the excess of fertile plants in the rainy season or excess of sterile plants in the dry season, the more so in crosses involving an A-line which has been reported to be relatively more unstable for male sterility.
Five popular but iron-inefficient cultivars were crossed with three efficient genotypes and both parents and FI s were evaluated for iron-efficiency in potted calcareous and noncalcareous soil. The iron-efficient genotypes were dark green or green in both noncalcareous and calcareous soils whereas inefficient types were light green to yellow in calcareous soil. The chlorophyll and active iron (Fe 2+ ) concentration of leaves was less in iron-efficient genotypes compared to efficient types in calcareous soil and reduction of both the parameters from noncalcareous to calcareous soil was considerably high in iron-inefficient lines. There was significant correlation between visual scores, chlorophyll and active iron content. There were no differences among Fls for iron chlorosis and they were all iron-inefficient. The frequency of iron-inefficient plants was higher than the efficient plants in all F2 populations. But most of the productive plants came from iron-efficient segregants indicating strong association between iron-efficiency and productivity. Based on the results selection for iron-efficiency in early generations and extensive evaluation for productivity in advanced generations is suggested for developing varieties for cultivation in calcareous soils.
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