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Assessment of genetic diversity in a large representative collection of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) from India and Africa

KrishiKosh

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Title Assessment of genetic diversity in a large representative collection of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) from India and Africa
 
Creator M. K, Jayashree
 
Contributor A, Seetharam
 
Subject millets, developmental stages, grain, yields, planting, genetics, sets, genotypes, biological phenomena, productivity
 
Description Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is one of the most important grain
and feed crops grown in India; and finger millet breeders are constantly looking for
potential and useful germplasm for deployment in crop improvement programme. The
importance of using exotic germplasm especially from Africa and the benefits accruing
there upon has been well recognized. This has lead to initiation of many systematic
studies aimed at comparing diversity in Indian and African collection of finger millet
from the point of locating useful gene sources.
The present study is one such effort where a large representative collection of 289
accessions originating from Africa and India were evaluated for their utility in crop
improvement by assessing genetic diversity. They were grown in 17 x 17 simple lattice
design with two replications. Data collected from 25 qualitative and quantitative
characters were used for assessing the magnitude of variability present in Indian and
African germplasm employing different statistical tools. The study revealed the presence
of large diversity in both African and Indian germplasm suggesting that both groups of
germplasm are equally important in crop improvement activities. However, it was of
interest to note that the nature of variability was different in both groups making each
group unique in their own way.
African accessions were more variable than Indian accession especially for ear
characteristics. Further, the level of resistance to blast disease was much higher in
African collection compared to Indian germplasm. The diversity assessment using
Mahalonobis D2 statistic also further substantiated the presence of greater diversity in
African accessions than Indian accessions. The study has helped in locating many
accessions having utility in crop improvement. The availability of significant amount of
variability in both groups of material for several yield and yield contributing characters
suggests that germplasm of both regions are required in crop improvement. The two
groups though have several characters, overlapping still exhibits distinctness. Therefore,
the involvement of African germplasm in Indian breeding programme and vice versa will
be rewarding.
 
Date 2016-05-19T11:23:04Z
2016-05-19T11:23:04Z
2012-12-15
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier Th-10440
http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/66117
 
Language en
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru