Structure of variation among morphological and physiological traits in three pearl millet composites

Abstract

The plant breeder's task of improving and stabilizing many plant traits simultaneously is complicated by interrelationships that occur among the traits . Factor analyses were conducted on three phenotypically diverse pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L .) R . Br .] composites to describe the structure of relationships among yield, morphological, and physiological traits . Approximately 1000 So spaced-plants from each composite were evaluated for 20 traits, and random samples of 289 S, progenies from each composite were evaluated for 18 of these traits . Factors extracted in So and S, populations identified unique sets of traits that were interrelated along axes of (a) biological yield, (b) panicle size, (c) dry matter partitioning and (d) compensation between number and size of seeds . Several plant traits had large loading coefficients on thè Biological Yield' and also, but with opposite signs, on the `Dry Matter Partitioning' factor . The traits having large loadings on these two factors differed between space-planted and normal-density stands, showing that environmental conditions contributed to the associations observed among traits . Correlations of S, with parental So factor scores for the `Biological Yield', `Panicle Size' and `Seed Paramters' factors produced significant correlation coefficients, indicating that these trait complexes had a genetic basis . The implications of these results for millet breeding are discussed .

Responses in Agronomic Traits Associated with Three Recurrent Selection Regimes for Groat‐Oil Content in Oat*

“…Factor analysis is a statistical procedure that groups traits that are associated with each 303 other but not with traits in other groups. Factor analysis was used to determine the relations among traits related to yield by WALTON (1971) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), by DENIS and ADAMS (1978) in dry bean {Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and by RATTUNDE et al (1989) in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.). Factor analysis can also be used to study the structure of correlation matrices of selected and unselected traits over cycles of recurrent selection.…”

Improving pearl millet for drought tolerance – Retrospect and prospects

“…Earliness is also akin to lower yield potential and a potential loss of opportunity in situation of abundant rainfall. Genetic variation for earliness is abundant in pearl millet (Rai et al 1997;Rattunde et al 1989b;Yadav et al 2017) and simple selection has been successful under most circumstances (Rattunde et al 1989a). Day-length insensitive Iniadi-type landraces from western Africa represent the most widely used source of earliness (Andrews and Anand Kumar 1996) by breeders in India and Africa.…”

Pearl Millet: Genetic Improvement in Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses

“…Early flowering, the most important factor determining yield under terminal water stress [14,28], is recognized as another selection criterion, although its advantage is due to drought escape rather than due to drought tolerance. Genetic variability for earliness is widely available in pearl millet [89,90] and simple selection has been successful under most circumstances [91]. The most widely used sources of earliness are the Iniadi-type landraces from western Africa [92,93].…”

“…These traits are frequently assessed visually, under both drought and non-drought conditions. Variability in panicles size, yield per panicle, and tillering is abundant in pearl millet [90,96,[100][101][102][103][104][105]. However, their specific contribution to improved grain yield and stability under terminal drought condition has not been quantified.…”