Relationship of grain iron and zinc content with grain yield in pearl millet hybrids

Abstract

Development of pearl millet cultivars with
\nhigh levels of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content can
\nmake significant contribution to reducing widespread
\ndeficiencies of these micronutrients in populations heavily
\ndependent on staple cereals for their dietary energy and
\nnutritional requirements. It is imperative that breeding of
\nsuch cultivars must not compromise on grain yield and
\nfarmer-preferred traits. Multi-location evaluation of two sets
\nof hybrids with differing genetic composition showed that
\nFe and Zn contents had highly significant and high positive
\ncorrelations in both sets of hybrids and in all environments,
\nand they were not correlated with grain weight, implying
\nsimultaneous genetic improvement of both micronutrients
\nin large-seeded background is likely to be effective. Both
\nmicronutrients had moderate to low negative correlations
\nwith grain yield in both sets of hybrids, although not always
\nsignificant. Such associations might have resulted due to
\nthe involvement of inidia germplasm as a common“Source—
\nof high Fe and Zn content in both male and female parents,
\nthereby reducing the genetic diversity between the parental
\nlines for traits associated with heterosis for grain yield.
\nWhether this could also be due to natural negative
\nassociation between genetic factors for these micronutrients
\non one hand and grain yield on the other merits further
\nstudies through selection experiments using genomic tools
\nas the resolution of this issue has a direct bearing on breeding high-yielding hybrids with high levels of Fe and Zn content in pearl millet