Evaluation of finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] germplasm collected from Uttarakhand hills for morphological descriptors and drought tolerance
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Date
2020-01
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Evaluation of finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] germplasm collected from Uttarakhand hills for morphological descriptors and drought tolerance” was conducted on 92 finger millet accessions and consisted of two parts viz., i) morphological characterization of finger millet germplasm; and ii) screening of finger millet germplasm for drought tolerance in in-vitro and greenhouse conditions. Morphological evaluation was done as per augmented block design-II for 34 characters (16 qualitative and 18 quantitative). All the genotypes have exhibited wide range for studied quantitative traits and for grain yield per plot genotypes GP-2016-609, GP-2017-502, GP-2017-381, GP-2017-733 and GP-2016-188 were the top performing. Estimates of genetic parameters indicates high PCV, GCV, heritability and genetic advance over mean for fodder yield per plot, biological yield per plot, harvest index, total tillers per plant, productive tillers per plant, finger number per ear, finger length, spike length and spikelet density per cm, which indicates predominance of additive gene action in expression of these traits. Correlation and path analysis revealed that improvement of grain yield in finger millet is possible through simultaneous manipulation of spikelet density per cm, finger number per ear, productive tillers per plant and harvest index. Mahalanobis D2 analysis grouped all the studied genotypes into nine clusters, among which genotypes of clusters V, III and IV could be used as potent donors for superior desired traits. High contribution towards diversity was shown by harvest index, grain yield per plot and fodder yield per plot. In-vitro drought screening has revealed that minimum reduction under water stress condition over control for germination percent, root length, shoot length, seedling length, root to shoot ratio and vigour index were shown by genotypes GP-2017-687, GP-2016-189, GP-2016-131, GP-2017-276, GP-2017-689 and GP-2017-687 respectively. Greenhouse drought screening based on eleven morphological traits has revealed that low reduction in grain yield per plant under water stress condition over control was shown by genotypes GP-2017-479, GP-2016-124, GP-2016-138, GP-2016-144 and GP-2016-142. Greenhouse drought screening based on five physiological traits revealed that maximum increment under water stress condition over control for leaf thickness was shown by genotype GP-2016-142, while minimum reduction for RWC, CTD, membrane stability and photosynthesis efficiency was shown by genotypes GP-2017-479, GP-2016-124, GP-2017-479 and GP-2016-193 respectively. Greenhouse drought screening based on five biochemical traits revealed that maximum increment under water stress condition over control for proline, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were shown by genotypes GP-2017-502, GP-2016-193, GP-2016-124, GP-2016-193 and GP-2017-687 respectively. On the basis of combined overall drought ranking, genotypes viz., GP-2016-124, GP-2016-144, GP-2017-579, GP-2017-275 and GP-2017-479 were identified as most drought tolerant.
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