scholarly journals Seed Production on Detached Culms of Pearl Millet × Elephantgrass Hexaploid Hybrids

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C. Schank ◽  
D.A. Diz ◽  
D.S. Wofford

Five nutrient solutions were evaluated in the greenhouse to determine which solutions would allow detached culms of Pennisetum to produce seed. The genotypes tested originated from the hybridization of Pennisetum glaucum L. (Pearl millet) × P. pennisetum Schum. (elephantgrass). The solutions were water, Hoagland's, sucrose, sucrose + hydroxyquinoline sulfate (HQ), and Hoagland's + sucrose + HQ. Neither the water nor the Hoagland's solution supported high seed set. Although the sucrose solution enhanced seed production, the seeds were low in weight and did not germinate well. The best nutrient solutions were 2% sucrose + 0.02% HQ or Hoagland's + 2% sucrose + 0.02% HQ. The four genotypes used differed substantially in seed production, but all produced seed, with germination >25%. This result indicates that the cut-culm technique is a possible way of getting recurrent restricted phenotypic selection seed in Pennisetum hexaploid hybrids.

2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jorben ◽  
S. P. Singh ◽  
C. Tara Satyavathi ◽  
S. Mukesh Sankar ◽  
Jayant S. Bhat ◽  
...  

Present investigation was carried out to study the mode of inheritance of fertility restoration for A4 cytoplasm using pollen fertility and seed set per cent as criterion in determining the fertile and sterile plants. Two CMS lines of A4 cytoplasm were crossed with two fertility restorers generating four F1 crosses, namely, ICMA 99111 x PPMI 1003, ICMA 99111 x PPMI 1087, ICMA 03999 x PPMI 1003 and ICMA 03999 x PPMI 1087, their F2s and backcross generations. All the F1s were completely fertile indicating complete fertility restoration. F2s and backcross generations were evaluated at IARI, New Delhi and IARI Regional Centre, Dharwad during summer 2017 and χ 2 test was applied to test the significance. At both the locations, all the F2 segregating populations fit well into a Mendelian ratio of 15:1 indicating digenic duplicate dominance of fertility restoring genes with χ 2 value of 0.82, 2.90, 0.04, 3.97, 4.86, 4.98, 0.02, 1.26, 3.15, 4.98, 3.15 and 0.02. The F2 hypothesis was verified with the observed frequency of segregating plants fitting well into 3:1 ration with χ 2 value of 5.45, 1.93, 4.93, 0.60, 2.83, 0.44, 4.94, 2.77, 3.33, 0.13, 4.08 and 1.51. It is further confirmation of the findings that fertility restoration is indeed governed by two duplicate genes. Association between pollen fertility and seed set per cent was significant and positive.


2002 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ndjeunga

Donors have invested more than US$45 million in seed production projects in Niger during the past two decades. These investments have largely failed. Public seed systems consistently supplied less than 2% of the total national seed planted by farmers. Through subsidies, seed prices represent less than one-third of the average cost of seed production. In contrast, at the village level, most farmers consistently obtain pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) seed from their own harvests, from neighbours or from village markets. Seed is of acceptable quality and a range of varieties is available. Village seed systems offer a cheaper and more efficient means of delivering seed to farmers. Future investment in seed systems development should target improvements in the capacity of village seed systems to maintain and distribute seed security stocks in drought years. Efficient seed producers or groups of farmers in each community should be identified and encouraged to become entrepreneurs tasked with the multiplication and distribution of new pearl millet varieties.


HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 538-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Andreasen ◽  
Andrius Hansen Kemezys ◽  
Renate Müller

Gerbera hybrida is an ornamental plant of great commercial interest, which is primarily propagated by seeds. We investigated whether increasing fertilizer concentrations during seed set enhanced plant biomass, number of flower heads, seed set, and seed weight. Furthermore, we studied whether an additional foliar calcium application influenced the same parameters. Subsequently, the effect of the various treatments on the germination of the obtained seeds was explored. Two identical experiments (A and B) were carried out with five concentrations of nutrient solutions corresponding to an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.25 mS·cm−1, 2.50 mS·cm−1, 3.75 mS·cm−1, 5.00 mS·cm−1, and 6.25 mS·cm−1. Additionally, plants were sprayed with a 0.5% foliar-applied calcium solution or deionized water (control) three times during the experimental period. In Expt. A, the concentration of fertilizer significantly affected seed production. Number of flower heads and seed weight were not influenced by the dose of fertilizer, but plant biomass and number of seeds were significantly reduced at the highest concentration (6.25 mS·cm−1). In Expt. B, the fertilizer concentration did not affect number of flower heads and seed number, but seed weight and plant biomass were significantly reduced at the highest fertilizer concentration. In both experiments, the seeds germinated slower and less seeds germinated when plants had received the largest amount of fertilizer (6.25 mS·cm−1). In none of the experiments did applied calcium affect the number of flowers, seed production, seed weight, or the total biomass. Our data indicate that seed producers of G. hybrida should not apply standard fertilizer in a concentration higher than corresponding to an EC of ≈1.25 mS·cm−1. It would have been valuable if we also had included a treatment with a lower EC value like 0.75 mS·cm−1 to improve the estimate of the optimal EC level from a curved function for the seed production and quality parameters.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
A.H. Shah ◽  
H. Karar ◽  
M.S. Farooq ◽  
M.S.A. Bazmi ◽  
G. Nabi ◽  
...  

Abstract Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is considered an important kharif crop, which is grown extensively in the arid and semi-arid tropical regions, where other crops, like sorghum and maize, fail to produce economic yields. Its grains are valued as human food, while its dry stover makes significant livestock ration in croplivestock farming system. Pearl millets (MB-87), a newly developed variety of Fodder Research Institute, Sargodha, Pakistan, is one of the best pearl millet variety, which gives more than one cutting and helps to cope with fodder lean period, as well as more income can be generated in addition to seed. So, overcome the scarcity period the study was conducted to check the effect of last cutting dates on seed production of multicut pearl millet MB-87 was conducted at Fodder Research Institute, Sargodha, Pakistan, during 2015 and 2016. Following parameters were taken in to consideration, i.e. plant height (cm), stem thickness (cm), number of leaves per tiller, number of tillers per plant, green fodder yield (t/ha), length of head (cm), 1000 grains weight (g) and grain yield (kg/ha). The results depicted that grain yield, i.e. 319.20, was maximum and head length was highest, i.e. 35.13 cm on 20th of August having last date of cut, whereas all others parameters were found to be nonsignificant. Multicut bajra gives three cutting of fodder, followed by seed, as compared with conventional bajra, which gives only one cutting or seed. Therefore, it is more economical for the growers of fodders to grow the pearl millets MB-87 as fodder, as well as for seed purposes. So, it is concluded that for gaining maximum grain yield of multicut pearl millet MB-87 the last cutting date should be 20th of August. In future, pearl millet is likely to play a larger role in providing food and nutritional security.


2015 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
pp. 41-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.K. Gupta ◽  
K.N. Rai ◽  
Piara Singh ◽  
V.L. Ameta ◽  
Suresh K. Gupta ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8460
Author(s):  
Armel Rouamba ◽  
Hussein Shimelis ◽  
Inoussa Drabo ◽  
Mark Laing ◽  
Prakash Gangashetty ◽  
...  

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple food crop in Burkina Faso that is widely grown in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, characterised by poor soil conditions and erratic rainfall, and high temperatures. The objective of this study was to document farmers’ perceptions of the prevailing constraints affecting pearl millet production and related approaches to manage the parasitic weeds S. hermonthica. The study was conducted in the Sahel, Sudano-Sahelian zones in the North, North Central, West Central, Central Plateau, and South Central of Burkina Faso. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions involving 492 participant farmers. Recurrent drought, S. hermonthica infestation, shortage of labour, lack of fertilisers, lack of cash, and the use of low-yielding varieties were the main challenges hindering pearl millet production in the study areas. The majority of the respondents (40%) ranked S. hermonthica infestation as the primary constraint affecting pearl millet production. Respondent farmers reported yield losses of up to 80% due to S. hermonthica infestation. 61.4% of the respondents in the study areas had achieved a mean pearl millet yields of <1 t/ha. Poor access and the high cost of introduced seed, and a lack of farmers preferred traits in the existing introduced pearl millet varieties were the main reasons for their low adoption, as reported by 32% of respondents. S. hermonthica management options in pearl millet production fields included moisture conservation using terraces, manual hoeing, hand weeding, use of microplots locally referred to as ‘zaï’, crop rotation and mulching. These management techniques were ineffective because they do not suppress the below ground S. hermonthica seed, and they are difficult to implement. Integrated management practices employing breeding for S. hermonthica resistant varieties with the aforementioned control measures could offer a sustainable solution for S. hermonthica management and improved pearl millet productivity in Burkina Faso.


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