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Yield and Water Relations of Pearl Millet Genotypes under Irrigated and Nonirrigated Conditions 1
Author(s) -
Singh Piara,
Kanemasu E. T.,
Singh Phool
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1983.00021962007500060008x
Subject(s) - pennisetum , loam , agronomy , biology , irrigation , pearl , crop , yield (engineering) , genotype , horticulture , soil water , ecology , philosophy , biochemistry , materials science , theology , gene , metallurgy
Drought resistance in pearl millet [( Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke] makes it BIR important food crop in arid and semiarid regions, but research is limited on drought resistance and physiological responses to water stress. To study the relationship of pearl millet yield to physiological characteristics, 10 pearl millet genotypes were grown under irrigated and nonirrigated conditions on a silt loam soil (fine‐silty, mixed mesic, Pachic Haplustoll). Leaf diffusion resistance of adaxial (LDR ad ) and abaxial (LDR ab ) surfaces, leaf water potential (Ψ L , leaf osmotic potential (Ψ rL , and stem osmotic potential (Ψ rs ) of genotypes were recorded in both treatments in the afternoon (1200 to 1700 h) when the crop was water‐stressed. Leaf diffusion resistance (LDR) for a leaf was calculated as LDR = (LDR ad × LDR ab /(LDR ad + LDR ab ). LDR ad , LDR ab , LDR ab , LDR, Ψ L , Ψ rL , and Ψ rs observed for each genotype were averaged over the stress period and correlated with yields and yield ratios (nonirrigated yield/irrigated yield) of genotypes. Majority of genotypes studies did not differ significantly (P<0.05) in average afternoon LDR ab , Ψ L , Ψ rL , and Ψ rs , and water use (WU) in both the treatments except that genotypic differences were significant in average afternoon LDR ad and LDR in the nonirrigated treatment. Grain yield was significantly correlated with LDR ab in both irrigated (r = −0.90) and nonurigated (r = −0.72) treatments, suggesting that high LDR ab of genotypes is associated with low grain yield. Grain yield ratio was significantly correlated with LDR ab (r = 0.71) and LDR (r = 0.66) in the irrigated treatment and with Ψ rL (r = 0.64) and Ψ rs (r = 0.78) in the nonirrigated treatment. Average afternoon Ψ L did not correlate with grain yield or grain yield ratio. It is concluded that average afternoon LDR ab could be used to rank pearl millet genotypes for their grain yield in both stressed and nonstressed environment.