Fertility Restoration and Cytological Studies of Pollen in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) Male Sterile and Fertile Lines

摘要

An experiment comprised of 5 male sterile lines and 30 inbred testers of pearl millet and 150 hybrids was conducted at Millet Breeding Station, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2005-2007. The fertility restoration ability of thirty diverse inbred pollinators on different cytoplasmic sources were studied. Among the one hundred and fifty hybrids studied, forty one hybrids were complete sterile and twenty four hybrids were recorded fertile. The two inbreds namely PT 5259 and PT 5773 contributed sterility with four male sterile lines out of five male sterile lines used. The former expressed sterility with ICMA 88994A, 81 A, ICMA 94111A and PT 5054A, the later expressed sterility with the malesterile lines 81 A, 732A, ICMA 94111A and PT 5054A. The A line PT 5054A expressed sterility in fifteen hybrids ' out of inbreds studied and it was followed by 81A with in fourteen inbreds. The 732A cytoplasm expressed sterility with only one inbred (PT5773) and also it was registered complete fertility with most of the inbreds than other male sterile lines. Developmental variation in the male sterile and male fertile lines of pearl millet was studied in five developmental stages viz., PMC, dyad, tetrad,soon after microspore release and before dehiscence of anther and it was found that, break down of fertility in the sterile anthers of pearl millet was post meiotic, in specific soon after the release of tetrad in the developmental stage.