Exploiting Heterosis in Pearl Millet for Population Breeding in Arid Environments

Abstract

In the desert region of Rajasthan, India, farmers mainly grow pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] landraces. The adoption of modern cultivars is generally low because of their poor adaptation to extreme drought stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of six elite breeding populations and three landraces and to determine the heterotic pattern among the 36 diallel crosses of those populations. Field experiments were conducted in eight environments in India. Mean grain yields (GYs) in the three environments with favorable growing conditions were double to threefold those in the three arid environments. The elite populations generally showed higher GY than the landraces; stover yield (SY) was similar in both population types. The landraces flowered earlier, had a higher tillering potential, and smaller seeds. Mean level of midparent heterosis was generally low, ranging from 0.85% for time to flowering (TF) to 6.57% for SY. For GY, expression of heterosis for individual population crosses was between −14 and +30% under drought stress, and between −9 and +17% in the favorable environments. For SY, mean heterosis was always positive and higher than for GY. The elite × landrace population crosses with high mean GY and high levels of heterosis under drought stress could be beneficial to widen the germplasm base and to combine the high yield potential of elite materials with the good adaptation of the landraces.

Identification of Combining Ability Patterns for Pearl Millet Hybrid Breeding in West Africa

“…For grain yield, they found a PBPH up to 81% with an average of 44%. Presterl and Weltzien (2003) crossed six elite cultivars based on both African and Indian cultivars, and three Indian and Pakistani landraces in a diallel mating scheme, and observed a maximum grain yield mid-parent heterosis of 30%. Our approach of studying WA population hybrids in more detail by intercrossing 17 (16 + 1) WA OPVs yielded an average PMPH of 23% with a positive minimum of 1% and an impressive maximum of 47%.…”

Construction of a genetic map for pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., using a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach

“…To minimize yield losses and to facilitate the development of improved varieties, research efforts are being conducted in several areas including resistance to Striga and downy mildew (Kountche et al 2013), drought and salinity tolerance (Bidinger et al 2007, Sehgal et al 2012Sharma et al 2014), cytoplasmic male sterility, use of dwarfing genes and the use of heterosis or hybrid vigor (Tostain and Marchais 1993;Presterl and Weltzien 2003;Dhuppe et al 2005). In addition, molecular tools are increasingly available for pearl millet and have proven their efficiency in other species including sorghum, rice, maize and cowpea (Haussmann et al 2004;Omanya et al 2004;Gurney et al 2006;Amusan et al 2008;Yoshida and Shirasu 2009).…”

A unified strategy for West African pearl millet hybrid and heterotic group development

“…Although the average panmictic better-parent heterosis ranged from 4-18%, the best hybrids yielded up to 62% more than their superior parent. The importance of good parental per se performance to create high-yielding population hybrids was shown in all of these studies (Dutta, 2019;Ouendeba et al, 1993;Presterl & Weltzien, 2003;Pucher et al, 2016;Sattler et al, 2019).…”