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RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

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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

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