RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT
RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT
RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
hybrids incorporating these have not reached advanced<br />
trials.<br />
The plateauing effect of hybrid yield was observed<br />
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was of concern<br />
to all pearl millet breeders. It is encouraging to note<br />
that the yields of new test hybrids are not plateauing,<br />
and have substantially higher yields than the check<br />
hybrids.<br />
Another problem with pearl millet hybrids is seed<br />
production. The two parents of the promising<br />
released hybrids should have synchronous flowering.<br />
The male-sterile line should be stable, and<br />
should have none or very few plants that shed pollen<br />
in seed production plots. Some hybrids could not be<br />
grown in India because of their seed production<br />
problems. Hence, the parents of promising or released<br />
hybrids should meet the requirements of seed production<br />
technology.<br />
The genetic enrichment of nutritional quality,<br />
particularly protein content and amino acids, deserves<br />
greater attention.<br />
The speed with which Indian breeders have developed<br />
high-yielding grain hybrids by using cytoplasmic<br />
male-sterile lines is a most remarkable plant<br />
breeding success story. The material under test and<br />
in the pipeline in India suggests that the future for<br />
pearl millet hybrids in India is still very bright.<br />
Gill, K.S. 1983. Genetical research on cereals and millets.<br />
Pages 93-138 in Genetical research in India (Jaiswal, P.L.,<br />
ed.). New Delhi, India: Indian Agricultural Research<br />
Institute.<br />
Harinarayana, G. 1977. A l l India Coordinated Millets<br />
Improvement Project: objectives, organization and achievements.<br />
Presented at the International Pearl Millet Workshop,<br />
29 Aug-2 Sep 1977, I C R I S A T Center, India. 21 pp.<br />
Harinarayana, G. 1982. A I C M I P : developments since<br />
1977. Presented at the A l l India Coordinated Millets<br />
Improvement Project Workshop, 26-28 Apr 1982, Coimbatore,<br />
Tamil Nadu, India.<br />
Harinarayana, G. 1984. Coordinator's review. Presented at<br />
the A l l India Coordinated Millets Improvement Project<br />
Workshop, 23-25 Apr 1984, Junagadh, Gujarat, India.<br />
Harinarayana, G. 1985. Strategy to increase production<br />
and productivity of pearl millet. Presented at a Meeting, 24<br />
Dec 1985, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,<br />
New Delhi, India.<br />
Acknowledgements<br />
The author expresses his thanks to Dr. G. Harinarayana,<br />
Project Coordinator and gratefully acknowledges<br />
the wide use of data from the A l l India Coordinated<br />
Millets Improvement Project.<br />
References<br />
Anion, I. 1972. Pearl millet. Pages 138-145 in Crop production<br />
in dry regions. Vol. 2. London, U K : Leonard H i l l .<br />
Athwal, D.S. 1965. Current plant breeding research with<br />
special reference to Pennisetum. Indian Journal of Genetics<br />
and Plant Breeding 26A:73-85.<br />
Burton, G.W. 1958. Cytoplasmic male sterility in pearl<br />
millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (L.) R.Br. Agronomy Journal<br />
50:230.<br />
Burton, G.W., and Athwal, D.S. 1967. Two additional<br />
sources of cytoplasmic male sterility in pearl millet and<br />
their relationship to Tift 23A. Crop Science 7:209-211.<br />
Burton, G.W., and Powell, J.B. 1968. Pearl millet breeding<br />
and cytogenetics. Advances in Agronomy 20:48-89.<br />
126