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Breeding pearl millet cultivars for high iron density with zinc density as an associated trait

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/7291/
http://ejournal.icrisat.org/Volume11/Agroecosystems/Breeding_KNR.pdf
 
Title Breeding pearl millet cultivars for high iron density with zinc density as an associated trait
 
Creator Rai, K N
Yadav, O P
Rajpurohit, B S
Patil, H T
Govindaraj, M
Khairwal, I S
Rao, A S
 
Subject Millets
 
Description Pearl millet, as a species, has higher levels of iron (Fe)
and zinc (Zn) densities than other major cereal crops.
However, this study showed the existence of about
twofold variability for Fe density (31–61 ppm) and zinc
density (32–54 ppm) among 122 commercial and
pipeline hybrids developed in India. Thus, there is a need
to increase the cultivation of hybrids having higher Fe
and Zn levels and enhance their consumption to better
address various health problems associated with the
deficiencies of these micronutrients. High-yielding openpollinated
varieties (OPVs) and hybrids with higher
levels of Fe and Zn densities than those found in most of
the commercial cultivars otherwise not bred for these
micronutrients as target traits have been developed and
are available for commercialization. Breeding lines and
germplasm with still higher levels of Fe and Zn densities
have been identified. Their utilization in breeding has the
potential to enable development of hybrids with >75 ppm
Fe density and >55 ppm Zn density. The primary focus of
pearl millet biofortification is on improving Fe density
with Zn density as an associated trait. Depending on the
genotypic composition of the trials, moderate to high
correlations between Fe and Zn densities have been
observed, indicating good prospects of simultaneous
genetic improvement for both traits, but perhaps also the
need to make conscious selection for Zn density along
with Fe density. Lack of association of Fe and Zn
densities with grain size showed that both micronutrients
can be improved without compromising on seed size. The
association of Fe and Zn densities with grain yield was
weak and negative, but not always significant, indicating
that both micronutrients can be improved without
significantly compromising grain yield by using large
segregating populations. This, however, is one area that
merits further research.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2013
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
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Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/7291/1/JSATAgriRes_Dec_v11_MBreedingPearlMillet_2013.pdf
Rai, K N and Yadav, O P and Rajpurohit, B S and Patil, H T and Govindaraj, M and Khairwal, I S and Rao, A S (2013) Breeding pearl millet cultivars for high iron density with zinc density as an associated trait. Journal of SAT Agricultural Research, 11. pp. 1-7. ISSN 0973-3094