Notification of crop varieties and registration of germplasm (Pearl millet Hybrid: MPMH 21)

Abstract

Pearl millet: Hybrid MPMH 21 Pearl millet, an important crop of arid and drier semi-arid regions of north and northwestern (NW) parts of country, is valued for grain and dry stover. Its grain is used as human food and animal feed, while its dry stover is very important component of ration for majority of bovine population in crop-livestock farming system. In vast majority of pearl millet growing NW regions, drought is most important production constraint. Hence, early maturing and dual-purpose cultivars are preferred to fulfill the requirements of existing crop-livestock farming system and to escape drought towards end of season. MPMH 21 is one such new pearl millet hybrid. MPMH 21 has been bred at the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Pearl Millet, Mandor, Jodhpur. The hybrid was tested in the All India Coordinated Trials during 2012-14 at 34 locations (10 locations in 2012 and 12 locations each in 2013 and 2014) along with two checks viz., RHB 177 and HHB 67 Improved. The test locations were spread in drier regions of the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, referred to as A1 zone of AICRP testing. The performance of MPMH 21 with respect to grain yield, stover yield and disease resistance indicated its superior performance to checks. The hybrids MPMH 21 provided, on an average, grain yield of 2469 kg/ha that was 10-28% higher than two national checks viz., RHB 177 (2238 kg/ha) and HHB 67 (1927 kg/ha). Similarly, the dry stover yield of MPMH 21 (48 q/ha) was also 17-23% higher than RHB 177 (41 q/ha) and HHB 67 (39 q/ha). The superior grain and stover yielding ability of MPMH 21 in comparison to both national checks would provide distinct advantage to farmers of dry areas to fulfill their greater demand of both grain and dry stover. The crop duration of MPMH 21 and two checks was at par (74-75 days). In spite of same maturity duration, the considerable superiority of MPMH 21 to checks highlights the higher growth rate and per day productivity of this hybrid in comparison to checks. The short duration and high growth rate of MPMH 21 would be critically important towards efficient utilization of limited moisture resources of the drier areas. Another distinctive advantage of MPMH 21 is that it exhibits very high degree of resistance to major diseases. The incidence of downy mildew, the most dreadful disease of pearl millet, was recorded as 2.53% only under artificially epidemic conditions which is lower than disease incidence of RHB 177 (6.14%) and HHB 67 Improved (5.93%). Similarly, incidence of blast, a foliar disease becoming as major threat now in pearl millet, was also lesser in MPMH 21 (3.73%) in comparison to RHB 177 (16.70%) and HHB 67 Improved (9.40%). Based on its higher grain and stover yields and very high level of builtin native resistance to diseases, MPMH 21 has been released vide notification number SO 2238 (E) dated 29 June, 2016 for cultivation under rainfed conditions and drier areas of states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat. The hybrid MPMH 21 displays very distinct phenotype in terms of combinations of various morphological and phenological traits. Hybrid comes to flowering within 47 days and matures in 75 days. Plants of MPMH 21 usually grow 170 cm tall, produce 20 cm long panicles with 2.6 cm thickness that are filled with grey brown grains of medium bold size (7.8 g/1000 grain) and of hexagonal shape. High tillering (2.5 panicles/plant) capacity of hybrid also helps in adaptation to mid-season drought spells. Hybrid can be easily identified by its pubescence-free green nodes, pigment-free glumes and brown anthers. The very attractive phenotypic appeal with complete exertion of panicle in MPMH 21 is another uniqueness of this hybrid. Grains contain, on an average, 11% protein, 6.2% fat, 41 ppm iron and 35 ppm zinc. The hybrid is based on male-sterile line ICMA 93333 and restorer MIR 524. The line ICMA 93333 is based on A1 source of cytoplasmic male-sterility. MIR 524 is a high tillering line having a capability of providing pollen in seed production plots over a longer period of time. The large panicle size of ICMA 93333 ensures high yield in seed plots of hybrid making seed production as more remunerative as compared to other hybrids. It is also expected that the major increase in crop yields in future would occur through cultivation of improved cultivars combined with better input management. It is, therefore, very pertinent that the new cultivars should be responsive to additional inputs. MPMH 21 responded very favorably to the additional doses of nitrogen during its evaluation in the AICRP trials. The yield improvement at 60 kg N/ha and 90 kg N/ha was 9% and 21%, respectively over the basal dose of 30 kg N/ha.