Observed and Predicted Genetic Gains from Single and Multi‐Trait Selections Using Three Mating Designs in Pearl Millet*

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to estimate the genetie eomponents of varianee, prediet the response to selection and to evaluate observed response to selection using two populations namely, PSB 7 and PSB 3, of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum [L.] Leeks). The observed response was studied using four methods of seleetion based on single and multitrait eriteria in three types of families, namely SI, half-sib (HS) and full-sib (FS) families. One hundred SI, HS and I'S families eaeh were developed in PSB 7 and PSB 3. Plants within a population were pollinated with bulk pollen of other population to develop HS famihes. Grosses were made between a pair of plants using one plant from eaeh of the two populations to develop FS famihes. Data were recorded on days to flower, plant height, tiller number, spike length, spike girth, seed yield per plant and spike weight. Additive genetie varianee estimates were significant for all traits. The estimates of dominanee and additive X location and dominanee X loeation interaetion components were not significant, except additive X loeation component in PSB 7 for seed yield and spike weight. The genotypie eomponent of varianee among SI families and SI X location interactions were signifieant exeept SI X location interactions in PSB 7 for days to flower, spike length and spike girth.Twenty-four strains were developed by lntermating superior families identified on the basis of four selection methods in eaeh of the six types of families.A part of a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Ph. D. degreeThe seleetion methods were high seed yield (YS) per se; index seleetion (IS) for high tiller number and long and thiek spike; truncation seleetion (TS) for high yield among the families having days to flower and plant height lower than the population mean; and visual seleetion (VS) after eompletion of flowering for good vigour, uniformity in plant height and good infloreseenee attributes. YS and IS were found to be superior to TS and VS with respect to observed genetie gains for seed yield. That advance was higher in seleetion among SI families as compared with FS and HS families. In general, a good agreement was noted between observed and expected responses. Expected genetie gain from FS reciprocal (R) recurrent seleetion was higher than the average gain from HS-R selection.

Evaluation of Some Local Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L. Moench) Genotypes in Rain-Fed

“…This finding is in agreement with the findings of Basu (1981) and Abu-Gasim and Kambal (1985) and Bello, et al (2007) for several quantitative for characters in sorghum genotypes. Zaveri et al (1989) also reported similar results in pearl millet. Lukhele (1981) and Bello et al (2007) observed that high error or environmental variance estimate for some characters similar to what was obtained in this study could be attributable to sample size.…”

Genetic Improvement of Pearl Millet in India

“…Exploiting a diverse range of germplasm, mostly from the African sources, several composites were developed and improved by recurrent selection, resulting in the development and dissemination of a large number and diverse range of breeding materials. In population improvement programme, various recurrent selection methods (mass selection, gridded-mass selection, recurrent restricted phenotypic selection, S 1 and S 2 progeny selection, half-sib selection and full-sib selection) with varying successes in the genetic improvement of several trait-based composites have been used [34,36,88,101,140,160]. A large number of trait-based composites (e.g.…”

Genetic Parameters of Some Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench) Genotypes Under Water Deficit Stress

“…Also, most of characters showed high significance of mean squares due to genotypes and interaction between genotypes and locations, implying that the treatments and genotypes tested across the two seasons were highly diverse. It is worth mentioning in this study that the values of the experimental error or the environmental variance of the studied characteristics are low, while studies confirm that in the case of high values of the experimental error, the sample size is not appropriate due to the number of treatments, season locations and it is an indication of lack of credibility in the results (Zaveri et al, 1989 andBello et al, 2007), and this is not found in this study.…”