Assessment of inbred lines as seed parents of top-cross hybrids in pearl millet

摘要

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] single-cross hybrids are grown for their grain over large areas of India. Setbacks initially due to devastating downy mildew [Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) J. Schrot.] (DM) disease and the adherence to using only single-cross hybrids led to slow progress in developing high-yielding and disease-resistant hybrids (Andrews and Bramel-Cox 1994). Topcross hybrids-an inbred seed parent pollinated by an open-pollinated variety of broad genetic nature-are practical in pearl millet and have yield advantages in terms of durability of resistance and stability of adaptation that are difficult to obtain in single-cross hybrids (Andrews et al. 1996). The present study was attempted to assess a set of newly bred DM-resistant male-sterile (A) and maintainer (B) lines for their suitability as seed parents of top-cross hybrids in pearl millet.