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Feasibility of breeding male‐sterile populations for use in developing interpopulation hybrids of pearl millet
Author(s) -
Rai K. N.,
Andrews D. J.,
Rao A. S.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
plant breeding
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1439-0523
pISSN - 0179-9541
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0523.2000.00505.x
Subject(s) - software maintainer , biology , hybrid , sterility , pennisetum , backcrossing , population , hybrid seed , agronomy , cytoplasmic male sterility , heterosis , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , genetics , demography , sociology , gene
Inter‐population hybrids of pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., have a substantial grain yield advantage over open‐pollinated varieties that makes them an appropriate and economically viable proposition for many African agricultural situations, provided that stable male‐sterile populations can be developed for use as seed parents. The objective of this research was to examine the feasibility of breeding stable male‐sterile populations, using the d 2 dwarf version of Nigerian Composite NCD 2 and the A 4 cytoplasmic‐nuclear male sterility system as a test case. Results showed that two cycles of recurrent selection for sterility maintenance ability led to the development of a fully effective maintainer version of NCD 2 . There was no significant difference between the original C 0 cycle bulk and the C 3 cycle bulk (developed from the third and final cycle of recurrent selection) for grain yield and other agronomic traits. The male‐sterile population at the third backcross stage, developed from the maintainer version of NCD 2 , had as high a level of stable male sterility as the A 1 system commercial inbred male‐sterile line 841A 1 . Thus, it is concluded that with the use of the A 4 cytoplasmic male‐sterile system, it would be possible rapidly to develop a maintainer version of any population without detrimental effects on grain yield and agronomic traits. Male sterility of populations developed from these maintainers will be highly stable, paving the way for their effective utilization as seed parents in breeding inter‐population hybrids.