Stability analysis of male sterile-derived pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) hybrids under variable growing condition

Abstract

The identification and deployment of high-yielding pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] hybrids adapted to various stress agro-ecologies are crucial for enhancing food and nutrition security in northern India. A study was carried out during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2019 and 2020 at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana in different growing situations (early-sown and late-sown patterns and rainfed to irrigated conditions) to investigate the genotype-environment interaction (GEI) of 59 pearl millet restorer lines, male sterile lines and their derived hybrids. Pooled analysis of variance for genotype, environment and GEI was significant for days to 50% flowering, seed yield and harvest index. These results indicate the significant differences among the genotypes, various environments and response of GEI. By combining the results of regression analysis and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) biplot, the genotypes HMS58 A1×EMRL-14/105, HMS54 A5×EMRL-14/127 and EMRL-15/109 exhibited high mean seed yield and high stability across environments. Among the tested environments, irrigated late-sown condition for seed yield and harvest index; and rainfed early-sown condition for days to 50% flowering had the highest discrimination ability. Hence, this study can help for the grouping of pearl millet potential hybrids and allow multi-year trials for identifying the best genotypes in the northern India.