Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources
Year : 1997, Volume : 10, Issue : 1
First page : ( 17) Last page : ( 25)
Print ISSN : 0971-8184.

Identification of new male sterile lines in pearl millet germplasm

Rao S. Appa, Mengesha M.H., Reddy K.N., Reddy C. Rajagopal

Genetic Resources Division, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru 502 324 (Andhra Pradesh).

Abstract

To identify naturally occurring cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), 4950 germplasm accessions were screened and identified 67 male-sterile plants and sterility maintainers from 16 different germplasm accessions. Of these, eight CMS lines were found to be stable over locations, seasons and years. CMS lines DSA 105A and DSA 134 A from Ghana flowered 7–8 days earlier than 5141A and are less sensitive to extended daylength indicating their wider adaptability. To study the cytoplasmic relationships, the maintainers (8 lines) of new CMS lines were crossed with the A lines of existing CMS sources and vice versa. Since DSA 1058 and PMC 238 maintain sterility in A₁, A₂ and A₃ CMS systems, they were considered to have different cytoplasm. When the new CMS lines were crossed with 18 diverse pollinators, hybrids with Ghana CMS lines flowered early and produced more grain than the check hybrids. Downy mildew resistant CMS lines DSA 105A and DSA 134 are used to produce hybrids which are being evaluated in India and Niger.

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Keywords

Male sterile lines, pearl millet, germplasm.

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