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Immediate Effect of Male and Female Gametes and N on Five Pearl Millet Grain Characteristics 1
Author(s) -
Burton Glenn W.,
Rabson Robert,
Axmann Helga
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1980.0011183x002000010003x
Subject(s) - pennisetum , biology , pollen , population , agronomy , poaceae , pearl , open pollination , horticulture , zoology , botany , pollination , philosophy , demography , theology , sociology
Pearl millet, Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke, inbreds ‘Tift 12,’ ‘Tift 13’, ‘Tift 18DB’, ‘Tift 23DB’, ‘Tift 239DB’, and ‘Bil 3B’ were grown in the field in plots fertilized with 15, 80, or 150 kg/ha of N with P and K adequate to study the immediate effect of male and female gametes and N on five pearl millet grain characteristics. Plants were replicated four times. Within each N‐treatment plot selfed, sibbed, open‐pollinated, and intermated seed was produced so that each genotype supplied both female and male gametes. Grain characteristics determined were thousand‐kernel weight (TKW), total amino N and proline (Pro) N of grain acid hydrolysates, N/Pro ratio, and dye‐binding capacity (DBC). Nitrogen treatments affected all grain characteristics except the N/Pro ratio, female gametes affected all grain characteristics, and male gametes affected TKW, proline and the N/ Pro ratio significantly. The female effect was greater than the male effect. Open‐pollinated seed was significantly higher than self‐pollinated seed in all characteristics measured. The data show that pollen source has an immediate effect on three of the pearl millet grain characteristics measured. They also indicate that selfpollinated seed of pearl millet and perhaps other cross‐pollinated crops should be used for the most accurate assessment of grain characteristics of any genotype. A minimum seed population and a standard pollen source could serve as an alternate but less desirable substitute for selfed seed for crops with a high degree of self‐incompatibility.