HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bidinger, F.R. Articles by Raju, D.S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bidinger, F.R. Articles by Raju, D.S. Agricola Articles by Bidinger, F.R. Articles by Raju, D.S.

CROP BREEDING, GENETICS & CYTOLOGY

Response to Selection for Increased Individual Grain Mass in Pearl Millet

^a International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT Patancheru PO, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India

f.bidinger{at}cgiar.org

Although pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is traditionally a small grain crop, a trait associated with adaption to marginal environments, there are both agronomic and usage-related reasons for seeking to increase individual grain mass (or size). Individual grain mass appears to have a low to moderate heritability in pearl millet, suggesting that genetic improvement based on some form of progeny testing is likely to be effective. The objective of this research was to quantify the percentage increase in individual grain mass that could be achieved in a modern open-pollinated millet cultivar, ICMS 7703, by two cycles of recurrent S₁ progeny selection for increased grain mass and maintenance of grain yield potential. Evaluated across 10 test environments, two cycles of selection achieved an 18% increase in individual grain mass (8.05–9.52 mg per grain), with no change in grain yield per square meter. Substantial improvement in individual grain mass in pearl millet is thus possible with targeted recurrent selection, where larger seed size provides an agronomic or processing advantage, or enhances consumer preference.

Abbreviations: C, cycle of selection • S1, first selfed generation • syn 0, first recombination generation • syn 1, second recombination generation