Identification of High Yielding and Blast Disease Resistant Genotypes in F4 and F5 Generations of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)

摘要

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.) is one of the most important staple food crops in India. Blast diseasecaused by the fungus Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) is the most devastating biotic production constraint which affects different aerial parts of the plant at all plant growth stages. Development of pure-line varieties with high grain yield potential coupled with blast disease resistance is the major breeding objective of breeding finger millet. 360 F_4 and F5 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs)derived fromthe cross PR 202 x GPU 48 were evaluated at two locations during 2013 rainy season (Bengaluru and Vizianagaram) and 2014 rainy season (Bengaluru and Mandya) for grain yield and response to blast disease reaction. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant mean squares attributable to 'recombinant inbred lines' and 'check varieties' for all traits in both the generations. The estimates of PCV and GCV were higher in F4 generation for days to 50% flowering and plant height than that in F5 generation.On the contrary, the estimate of PCV was lower in F4 generation for finger length and grain yield per plant than that in F5 generation. The heritability was higher for all the traits in both the generations. Most of the RILs fell in moderately resistantcategory in F_4 and in resistant category in F_5. A total of 49 RILs were immune to neck blast and 3 RILs were immune to finger blast in F5. RILs that surpassed parental limits for productivity per se traits and response to blast disease infection wereidentified. The best ten high yielding RILs were identified.