Genetic enhancement of pearl millet and sorghum for the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), ranking fifth and sixth in global cereal hectarage, respectively, are the most important coarse-grain cereals in the semi-arid tropical regions of Asia and Africa. Pearl millet displays better adaptation to and is grown in relatively more marginal environments than sorghum. Under subsistence farming conditions, both crops have low grain yields (0.5-0.7 t·ha-1 for pearl millet and 0.7-0.9 t·ha-1 for sorghum), although improved hybrid cultivars give 3-4 t·ha-1 of realizable grain yields in better-endowed environments. African germplasm, especially Zera Zera sorghums from the Sudan-Ethiopian border in eastern Africa and Iniari pearl millets from the Togo - Ghana - Benin - Burkina Faso region of western Africa, has proved most useful for the genetic improvement of these crops. The greatest impact of improved cultivars (mostly hybrids) has occurred in India, where the area under high-yielding varieties (HYVs) increased from 6% for pearl millet and 3% for sorghum in the triennium 1968-1970 to 53% for pearl millet and 54% for sorghum in the triennium 1992-1994. During the same period, productivity of both crops increased by 59%, which is attributable to both genetic improvement and management factors. HYVs have now started to be adopted in some of the African countries as well (e.g., Chad, Cameroon, Botswana, and Zimbabwe for sorghum; Chad, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for pearl millet). The availability of vast untapped genetic resources and continuing yield gains indicate that there are good prospects for future genetic improvement in the productivity of these crops, which can be accelerated with the application of biotechnological tools. Sorghum and pearl millet will continue to be important food crops in their traditional semi-arid tropical areas. Sorghum is already an important feed crop in the developed world and pearl millet has the potential to become an even better feed crop, as it has higher protein content and a better amino acid profile than sorghum. The nutritional value of both crops for food and feed use can be further improved by breeding. Also, through genetic enhancement, there exist opportunities for the development of sorghum and pearl millet cultivars suitable for alternative uses in the bakery and beverage industries.Key words: sorghum, Sorghum bicolor, pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum, genetic enhancement, semi-arid tropics, Asia, Africa, cultivars, impact.

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Effect of malting and fermentation on colour, thermal properties, functional groups and crystallinity level of flours from pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05467 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. e05467

Author(s):

G. Olamiti ◽

T.K. Takalani ◽

D. Beswa ◽

A.I.O. Jideani

Keyword(s):

Thermal Properties ◽

Sorghum Bicolor ◽

Functional Groups ◽

Pearl Millet ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum

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Behavior of sulfentrazone in the soil as influenced by cover crop before no-till soybean planting

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/wsc.2020.70 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 68 (6) ◽

pp. 673-680

Author(s):

Gabrielle de Castro Macedo ◽

Caio Antonio Carbonari ◽

Edivaldo Domingues Velini ◽

Giovanna Larissa Gimenes Cotrick Gomes ◽

Ana Karollyna Alves de Matos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Glycine Max ◽

Sorghum Bicolor ◽

Pearl Millet ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

Forage Sorghum ◽

Crop Straw ◽

No Till

AbstractMore than 80% of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in Brazil is cultivated in no-till systems, and although cover crops benefit the soil, they may reduce the amount of residual herbicides reaching the soil, thereby decreasing herbicide efficacy. The objective of this study was to evaluate sulfentrazone applied alone, sequentially after glyphosate, and in a tank mixture with glyphosate before planting no-till soybean. Experiments were performed in two cover crop systems: (1) pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] and (2) forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ssp. bicolor]. The treatments tested were: glyphosate (720 g ae ha−1) at 20 d before sowing (DBS) followed by sulfentrazone (600 g ai ha−1) at 10 DBS; glyphosate + sulfentrazone (720 g ae ha−1 + 600 g ai ha−1) for cover crop desiccation at 10 DBS; and sulfentrazone alone at 10 DBS without a cover crop. The accumulation of straw was 31% greater using sorghum rather than pearl millet. In the sorghum system, the concentration of sulfentrazone at 0 to 10 cm was 57% less with sequential application and 92% less with the tank mixture compared with the treatment without cover crop straw at 1 d after application (DAA). The same occurred in the pearl millet system, where the reduction was 33% and 80% for the sequential application and tank mixture, respectively. The absence of a cover crop resulted in greater sulfentrazone concentrations in the top layer of the soil when compared with the sequential application or tank mixture. At 31 and 53 DAA, the concentration of sulfentrazone at 10 to 20 and 20 to 40 cm did not differ among treatments. Precipitation of 90 mm was enough to remove the herbicide from the cover crop straw at 31 DAA when using sequential application. An additional 90-mm precipitation was necessary to promote the same result when using the tank mixture.

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Effect of azotobacter, farmyard manure and nitrogen fertilization on productivity of pearl millet hybrids ( Pennisetum Glaucum (L) r. br) in semi-arid tropical environment

Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science ◽

10.1080/03650340301498 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 21-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Singh ◽

D. P. Singh ◽

P. K. Tyagi

Keyword(s):

Pearl Millet ◽

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

Farmyard Manure ◽

Tropical Environment ◽

Semi Arid

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Diallel Analysis for Grain Yield and Component Traits in Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] under Semi-arid Condition of Gujarat

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ◽

10.20546/ijcmas.2018.707.458 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (07) ◽

pp. 3942-3950

Author(s):

Bharat K. Davda ◽

C.J. Dangaria

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Pearl Millet ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

Diallel Analysis ◽

Component Traits ◽

Arid Condition ◽

Semi Arid

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Effects of Seedling Age on Transplanting Shock, Growth and Yield of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Varieties in Semi-arid Zimbabwe

Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.3923/ja.2006.205.211 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 205-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

F.S. Murungu . ◽

P. Nyamudeza . ◽

F.T. Mugabe . ◽

I. Matimati . ◽

S. Mapfumo .

Keyword(s):

Pearl Millet ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Seedling Age ◽

Transplanting Shock ◽

Semi Arid

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Heat Shock Proteins of Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench] and Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum(L.) R.Br.] Cultivars with Differing Heat Tolerance at Seedling Establishment Stage

Journal of Experimental Botany ◽

10.1093/jxb/41.2.249 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 249-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. SIVARAMAKRISHNAN ◽

VILLOO Z. PATELL ◽

P. SOMAN

Keyword(s):

Heat Shock ◽

Heat Shock Proteins ◽

Sorghum Bicolor ◽

Pearl Millet ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Seedling Establishment ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

Shock Proteins ◽

Sorghum Bicolor L

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Agronomic traits, ensilability and nutritive value of five pearl millet cultivars grown in a Brazilian semi-arid region

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859615000908 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 154 (1) ◽

pp. 165-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

R. D. DOS SANTOS ◽

A. L. A. NEVES ◽

L. G. R. PEREIRA ◽

L. E. SOLLENBERGER ◽

J. A. S. RODRIGUES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pearl Millet ◽

Acid Concentration ◽

Arid Region ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Pennisetum Glaucum ◽

High Yield ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Pearl Millet Cultivars ◽

Semi Arid Region ◽

Semi Arid

SUMMARYPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.) could play an important role as a feed source for ruminants in arid and semi-arid zones of the world owing to its high yield and drought tolerance. The current paper assessed the agronomic characteristics, ensilability, intake and digestibility of five Brazilian pearl millet cultivars (IPA Bulk1BF, BRS 1501, CMS-03, CMS-01 and BN-2) in a typical Brazilian northeastern semi-arid climate. Forage was harvested at the dough stage of grain maturity (growth stage 86 according to the BBCH scale) and ensiled under laboratory and farm conditions. Apparent digestibility of the silages was determined using 25 Santa Inês male lambs. The cultivars CMS-01, CMS-03 and BN-2 out-performed the others in terms of dry matter (DM) and digestible DM yield/ha. At DM partitioning among plant tissues, the cultivar IPA Bulk1BF had a greater DM associated with panicles and one of the greatest concentrations of organic matter, lactic acid and in vitro dry matter digestibility among the five cultivars. The cultivar BRS 1501 had greater butyric acid concentration as well as one of the highest pH values. Silage produced from BN-2 not only contained greater acetic acid concentration, but also showed one of the greatest total volatile fatty acid concentrations. There were no differences in feed intake and digestibility of nutrients and fibre fractions across all cultivars. Silage made from BN-2 resulted in greater urinary excretion of nitrogen than those produced from BRS 1501. Under the conditions of the present study, the results obtained for production of DM and digestible dry matter, and the ratio of plant fractions, indicates the possible use of these cultivars for silage production in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

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