CHARACTERIZATION OF FOXTAIL MILLET (Setaria italica L.) VARIETIES FOR GROWTH, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND YIELD IN RAINFED CONDITIONS
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Date
2021-12-08
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Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla,
during kharif 2019-20 to study the “Characterization of foxtail millet varieties for
growth, photosynthesis and yield in rainfed conditions”. Ten treatments consisting of
ten varieties viz., foxtail millet varieties i.e., Prasad (T1), Krishnadevaraya (T2),
Narasimharaya (T3), Sreelakshmi (T4), SiA 3085 (T5), Suryanandi (T6), SiA 3156
(T7), SiA 3222 (T8), Lepakshi (T9) and PS-4 (T10), and laid out in a Randomized
Block Design, replicated thrice.
Observations were recorded on growth, photosynthetic attributes, WUE traits
and biochemical parameters at 20 days interval between 20 to 80 DAS. The data on
yield and yield attributes were recorded at harvest.
Varietal variability was observed among the foxtail millet varieties with
respect to growth, photosynthesis, WUE traits, biochemical and yield parameters.
Prasad exhibited superior performance by recording increase in plant height and
number of tillers by 47.3 and 92.0 percent, respectively over SiA-3222. In all the
varieties, there was a gradual increase in leaf area and leaf drymatter from 20 to 60
DAS and declined at harvest. Prasad and Krishnadevaraya recorded 59.0 and 51.0 per
cent increase in leaf area and 1.8 folds increase in leaf drymatter, respectively, over
SiA 3222. This might be due to higher leaf area possessed by both the varieties in the
present study. Lesser leaf area and leaf drymatter was recorded by SiA 3222.
Narasimharaya and Prasad showed 2.3 and 2.0 folds increase in stem
drymatter, and 2.0 and 1.9 folds increase in total drymatter, respectively, over SiA
3222. Prasad, Narasimharaya and Suryanandi recorded 1.8, 1.7 and 1.5 folds increase
in reproductive parts drymatter, respectively, over SiA 3222.
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Higher CGR and NAR were recorded by the varieties Narasimharaya and
Prasad and they showed 3.3 and 3.1 folds increase in CGR, and 3.3 and 3.0 folds
increase in NAR, respectively, over SiA 3222. PS-4 recorded increase in RGR by 3.1
folds over SiA 3222.
The foxtail millet varieties Prasad, Krishnadevaraya, Suryanandi and
Narasimharaya recorded 59.0, 51.0, 39.0 and 36.2 per cent increase in LAI,
respectively, over SiA 3222. Krishnadevaraya, Narasimharaya, SiA 3085 and
Suryanandi recorded 22.7, 18.1, 18.1 and 18.1 per cent increase in SLW, respectively,
over SiA-3222.
Prasad recorded 69.0 per cent increase in photosynthetic rate over Lepakshi.
Prasad and Narasimharaya recorded highest stomatal conductance by 67.7 and 54.9
per cent, respectively over PS-4. Sreelakshmi, Narasimharaya and Prasad showed
increase in transpiration rate (i.e., 111.2, 104.0 and 97.6 per cent, respectively) over
SiA 3222.
Higher RWC was recorded by Prasad, Narasimharaya and Suryanandi
varieties i.e., 14.2, 10.2 and 9.2 per cent, respectively, than SiA 3222.
Krishnadevaraya, Suryanandi, Narasimharaya, SiA 3085 and Prasad recorded 17.4,
17.4, 15.2, 15.2 and 10.9 per cent decrease in SLA, respectively, over SiA 3156 and
SiA 3222. The SCMR values were recorded higher by the varieties viz., Suryanandi,
Prasad and Narasimharaya by 22.9, 21.1 and 20.4 per cent, respectively, over
Lepakshi.
The proline content was increased by 85.8, 52.2 and 42.5 per cent, and the
caroteniod by 33.3, 27.3 and 24.2 per cent by Prasad, Narasimharaya and Suryanandi,
respectively, over SiA 3222. Prasad, Suryanandi and Narasimharaya recorded higher
NR activity i.e., 25.0, 24.5 and 19.0 per cent, respectively, over PS-4 and 70.3, 65.4
and 56.0 per cent increase in SOD activity, respectively, over SiA 3222.
The number of panicle m-2 was increased by 36.9, 32.1 and 28.0 per cent,
compared to Lepakshi, by Prasad, Suryanandi and Narasimharaya, respectively.
Higher number of filled grains panicle-1 was recorded with the varieties SiA 3222,
Sreelakshmi and PS-4 (37.6, 26.4 and 22.8 per cent, respectively) than
Krishnadevaraya. Narasimharaya recorded 1.30 g more test weight over SiA 3222.
Prasad, Narasimharaya and Suryanandi increased the grain yield by 33.9, 20.4 and
19.4 per cent over SiA 3222. Krishnadevaraya, Suryanandi and SiA 3222 recorded
higher HI i.e., 44.6, 44.3 and 43.1 per cent, respectively, over PS-4.
Correlation coefficients indicated strong positive correlation for
photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, total drymatter production, RWC and
SCMR readings with grain yield.
The varieties namely Prasad, Narasimharaya and Suryanandi which recorded
higher grain yield, also recorded higher photosynthetic rate, more number of tillers
per plant and total drymatter production. Apart from these, they also recorded high
RWC, proline content, Nitrate Reductase activity, antioxidant metabolites and
enzymes such as carotenoids and Superoxide dismutase, respectively and WUE traits
viz., high SCMR and low SLA under rainfed conditions. The foxtail millet varieties
viz., SiA 3222, PS-4 and Lepakshi showed poor performance interms of growth,
photosynthetic characteristics, WUE traits and grain yield in the present study.
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Though the crop experienced two dry spells at panicle intiation and flowering
stage and at grain ripening stage during its growing period, but the varieties Prasad,
Narasimharaya and Suryanandi performed well by accumulating osmoprotectants i.e.,
proline and antioxidants viz., carotenoid and SOD in higher amounts which might
helped the plants in the mitigation of water stress occurred in rainfed condition. Based
on these results, it could be concluded that the varieties Prasad, Narasimharaya and
Suryanandi may be popularized due to their noteworthy performance under rainfed
conditions of Krishna Zone.
Description
CHARACTERIZATION OF FOXTAIL
MILLET (Setaria italica L.)
VARIETIES FOR GROWTH,
PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND YIELD IN
RAINFED CONDITIONS