Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T06:11:28.671Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF PEARL MILLET FOR THE ARID ZONE OF NORTHWESTERN INDIA: LESSONS FROM TWO DECADES OF COLLABORATIVE ICRISAT-ICAR RESEARCH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2009

F. R. BIDINGER ,
O. P. YADAV  and
E. WELTZIEN RATTUNDE
F. R. BIDINGER
Affiliation:
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India
O. P. YADAV*
Affiliation:
Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur 342 003 Rajasthan, India
E. WELTZIEN RATTUNDE
Affiliation:
ICRISAT, BP 320, Bamako, Mali
*
‡Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The arid zone of northwestern India is a unique adaptation zone for crop plants because of its pervasive severe moisture stress and high temperatures. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a major cereal in this zone as it represents approximately 25% of the total acreage of the crop in the country. Pearl millet hybrid cultivars, which have gained widespread acceptance from farmers elsewhere in the country, have not been adopted in the arid zone. Farmers continue to sow their traditional landraces because the yield advantage of current hybrids is not expressed in this zone, and the risk of failure in poor years with the hybrids is unacceptably high. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research have been collaborating to understand the unique nature of pearl millet in the arid zone since the late 1980s. This collaboration has produced a better understanding of how arid zone farmers manage their germplasm, of the unique features of this invaluable resource and of a range of ways of using this germplasm to produce well-adapted new varieties and hybrids that will meet the requirements of the farmers of the arid zone. It has been shown that new cultivars for the arid zone need to be based on parental materials, including traditional landraces that are specifically adapted to the arid zone. This paper summarizes the main lessons of nearly 20 years of this collaborative research.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 107 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barker, T., Campos, H., Cooper, M., Dolan, D., Edmeades, G., Habben, J., Schussler, J., Wright, D. and Zinselmeir, C. (2005). Improving drought tolerance in maize Plant Breeding Review 25:173–226.Google Scholar
Bidinger, F. R. and Yadav, O. P. (2008). Biomass heterosis as the basis for grain and stover yield heterosis in arid zone pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) hybrids. Crop Science (in press)Google Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., Weltzien, R. E., Mahalakshmi, V., Singh, S. D. and Rao, K. P. (1994). Evaluation of landrace topcross hybrids of pearl millet for arid zone environments. Euphytica 76:215–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., Yadav, O. P. and Sharma, M. M. (2002). Male-sterile seed parents for breeding landrace-based topcross hybrids of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) for the arid zone. I. Productivity, responsiveness and stability. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 62:121–127.Google Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., Thakur, R. P., Yadav, O. P. and Sharma, M. M. (2003a). Male-sterile seed parents for breeding landrace-based topcross hybrids of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) for the arid zone. II. Downy mildew resistance, plant type, fertility restoration and terminal drought tolerance. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 63:99–105.Google Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., Yadav, O. P., Sharma, M. M., van Oosterom, E. J. and Yadav, Y. P. (2003b). Exploitation of heterosis for simultaneous improvement in both grain and stover yields of arid zone pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.). Field Crops Research 83:13–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., Serraj, R., Rizvi, S. M. H., Howarth, C., Yadav, R. S. and Hash, C. T. (2005). Field evaluation of drought tolerance QTL effects on phenotype and adaptation in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] topcross hybrids. Field Crops Research 94:14–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bidinger, F. R., BhaskerRaj, A. G. Raj, A. G. and Hash, C. T. (2006). Zonal adaptation in pearl millet cultivar types. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 66:207–211.Google Scholar
Blum, A. (1988). Plant Breeding for Stress Environments, Boca Raton: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Ceccarelli, S. (1994). Specific adaptation and breeding for marginal environments. Euphytica 77:205–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christinck, A. (2002). This seed is like ourselves. A case study from Rajasthan, India, on the social aspects of biodiversity and farmers' management of pearl millet seed. Kommunikation und Beratung Volume 47, Weikersheim, Germany: Margraf Verlag.Google Scholar
Dhamotharan, M., Weltzien, E., Whitaker, M. L., Rattunde, H. F., Anders, M. M., Taigi, Manga, V. K. and Vyas, K. L. (1997). Seed management strategies of farmers in western Rajasthan in their social and environmental contexts: Results from a workshop using communication techniques for a dialogue between farmers and scientists, Digadi Village Jodhpur District, Rajasthan, India. Integrated Systems Project Report No. 9. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India.Google Scholar
Directorate of Millets Development. (2006). State wise area, production and yield of coarse cereals. [online] http://dacnet.nic.in/millets/state_wise_main.htm.Google Scholar
Kelley, T. G., Parthasarathy Rao, P., Weltzien, R. E. and Purohit, M. L. (1996). Adoption of improved cultivars or pearl millet in an arid environment: Straw yield and quality considerations in western Rajasthan. Experimental Agriculture 32:161–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Presterl, T. and Weltzien, E. (2003). Exploiting heterosis in pearl millet population breeding in arid environments. Crop Science 43:767–776.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Oosterom, E. J., Bidinger, F. R. and Weltzien, R. E. (2003). A yield architecture framework to explain adaptation of pearl millet to environmental stress. Field Crops Research 80:33–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Oosterom, E. J., Weltzien, E., Yadav, O. P. and Bidinger, F. R. (2006). Grain yield components of pearl millet under optimum conditions can be used to identify germplasm with adaptation to arid zones. Field Crops Research 96:407–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
vom Brocke, K., Christinck, A., Weltzien, E., Presterl, T. and Geiger, H. H. (2003a). Farmers' seed systems and management practices determine pearl millet genetic diversity patterns in semi-arid regions of India. Crop Science 43:1680–1689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
vom Brocke, K., Weltzien, E., Christinck, A., Presterl, T. and Geiger, H. H. (2003b). Effects of farmers' seed management on performance and adaptation of pearl millet in Rajasthan, India. Euphytica 130:267–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weltzien, E. (1990). Effect of selection under natural drought conditions in pearl millet. Agronomy Abstracts 1990. p. 115.Google Scholar
Weltzien, R. E. (1995). Ertragssteigerungen unter marginalen Bedingungen – züchterische Ansaetze und Erfahrun – gen mit Perlhirse. (Productivity increases under marginal conditions: breeding approaches and experiences with pearl millet). Vortraege für Pflanzenzüchtung 31:116–128.Google Scholar
Weltzien, R. E. (2000). Supporting farmers' genetic resources management: Experiences with pearl millet in India. In Encouraging Diversity: the Conservation and Development of Plant Genetic Resources, 189–193 (Eds Almekinders, C. and de Boef, W.) London: Intermediate Technology Publications.Google Scholar
Weltzien, R. E. and Hash, C. T. (1995). Co-operative breeding of open-pollinated varieties. In Eighth EARSAM Regional Workshop on Sorghum and Millets, 30 Oct–5 Nov 1992, Wad Medani, Sudan, Patancheru, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics, 73–76Google Scholar
Wilson, J. P., Burton, G. W., Zongo, J. D. and Dicko, I. O. (1990). Diversity among pearl millet landraces collected in Central Burkina Faso. Crop Science 30:40–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witcombe, J. R. and Weltzien, E. (1989). Population improvement in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) in India. Paper presented at Sixth International Congress of SABRAO. August 21–25, 1989, Tsukuba, Japan.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. (2004). CZP 9802 – a new drought-tolerant cultivar of pearl millet. Indian Farming 54:15–17.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. (2007). Genetic diversification of landrace-based populations of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R. Br.) to enhance productivity and adaptation to arid zone environments. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 67:358–364.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. (2008). Performance of landraces, exotic elite populations and their crosses in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) in drought and non-drought conditions. Plant Breeding 127:208–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadav, O. P. and Weltzien, R., E. (1997). Performance of two introgressed populations of pearl millet in contrasting environments. International Sorghum and Millets Newsletter 38:110–112.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. and Weltzien, R. E. (1998). New pearl millet populations for Rajasthan, India. Integrated Systems Project Report Series no. 10. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru India.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. and Weltzien, R., E. (2000). Differential response of pearl millet landrace-based populations and high yielding varieties in contrasting environments. Annals of Arid Zone 39:39–45.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. and Bidinger, F. R. (2007). Utilization, diversification and improvement of landraces for enhancing pearl millet productivity in arid environments. Annals of Arid Zone 46:49–57.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P. and Bidinger, F. R. (2008). Dual-purpose landraces of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) as sources of high stover and grain yield for arid zone environments. Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization 6:73–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadav, O. P., Weltzien, R. E., Bidinger, F. R. and Mahalakshmi, V. (2000). Heterosis in landrace-based topcross hybrids of pearl millet across arid environments. Euphytica 112:285–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadav, R. S., Hash, C. T., Bidinger, F. R., Cavan, G. P., and Howarth, C. J. (2002). Quantitative trait loci associated with traits determining grain and stover yield in pearl millet under terminal drought stress conditions. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 104:67–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yadav, O. P., Weltzien, R. E., and Bidinger, F. R. (2003a). Genetic variation in drought response of landraces of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 63:37–40.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P., Bidinger, F. R. and Sharma, MM. (2003b). Male-sterile seed parents for breeding landrace-based topcross hybrids of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) for the arid zone. III. Matching A-lines and specific target environments. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 63:106–114.Google Scholar
Yadav, O. P., Weltzien, R. E. and Bidinger, F. R. (2004a). Diversity among pearl millet landraces collected in northwestern India. Annals of Arid Zone 43:45–53.Google Scholar
Yadav, R. S., Hash, C. T., Bidinger, F. R., Devos, K. M., and Howarth, C. J. (2004b). Genomic regions associated with grain yield and aspects of post-flowering drought tolerance in pearl millet across stress environments and testers background. Euphytica 136:265–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar