Evaluation of β-carotene contents of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in core germplasm and their association with yield

摘要

The untapped grain yield potential coupled with nutritional superiority makes the proso millet a potential alternative future food crop particularly in the less constantly rainfed areas. With the objective to standardize the protocol for quantification of β-carotene contents in proso millet and to evaluate 160 core germplasm lines received from All India Coordinated Small Millets Improvement Project, Bangalore, the experiment was laid out in a block design with 160 core germplasm, 2 check and 2 border rows. In each entry 5 plants were sampled at random and averaged for recording of data on 12 descriptors. Their variability, range, mean, association with yield were analysed statistically and results are presented in detail. The β-carotene ranged from 0.38 to 0.69 mg/g of grain. Significant differences among the genotypes were recorded for all the characters. Heritability estimates varied from moderate to high for all the traits. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean were observed for number of basal tillers, days to 50 per cent flowering, length of inflorescence and β-carotene content indicating the presence of additive genetic effects for the manifestation of these characters. Plant height, days to maturity, grain yield and flag leaf blade length exhibited high heritability with moderate genetic advance which indicates the presence of both additive and non-additive genetic effects. For these characters correlation and path coefficient analyses were estimated. The content and bioavailability of β-carotene in most staple crop plants are variable, are under genetic control and can usually be increased by classical breeding. Hence, a complementary intervention to existing strategies for reducing vitamin A deficiencies in the highest risk countries is to fortify the major staple food with provitamin A through plant breeding.