Author:
Rouamba Armel,Shimelis Hussein,Drabo Inoussa,Mrema Emmanuel,Ojiewo Christopher Ochieng,Mwadzingeni Learnmore,Rathore Abhishek
Abstract
AbstractPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.) is a nutrient-dense, relatively drought-tolerant cereal crop cultivated in dry regions worldwide. The crop is under-researched, and its grain yield is low (< 0.8 tons ha−1) and stagnant in the major production regions, including Burkina Faso. The low productivity of pearl millet is mainly attributable to a lack of improved varieties, Striga hermonthica [Sh] infestation, downy mildew infection, and recurrent heat and drought stress. Developing high-yielding and Striga-resistant pearl millet varieties that satisfy the farmers’ and market needs requires the identification of yield-promoting genes linked to economic traits to facilitate marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding. The objective of this study was to undertake genome-wide association analyses of agronomic traits and Sh resistance among 150 pearl millet genotypes to identify genetic markers for marker-assisted breeding and trait introgression. The pearl millet genotypes were phenotyped in Sh hotspot fields and screen house conditions. Twenty-nine million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) initially generated from 345 pearl millet genotypes were filtered, and 256 K SNPs were selected and used in the present study. Phenotypic data were collected on days to flowering, plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, panicle weight, thousand-grain weight, grain weight, number of emerged Striga and area under the Striga number progress curve (ASNPC). Agronomic and Sh parameters were subjected to combined analysis of variance, while genome-wide association analysis was performed on phenotypic and SNPs data. Significant differences (P < 0.001) were detected among the assessed pearl millet genotypes for Sh parameters and agronomic traits. Further, there were significant genotype by Sh interaction for the number of Sh and ASNPC. Twenty-eight SNPs were significantly associated with a low number of emerged Sh located on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Four SNPs were associated with days-to-50%-flowering on chromosomes 3, 5, 6, and 7, while five were associated with panicle length on chromosomes 2, 3, and 4. Seven SNPs were linked to thousand-grain weight on chromosomes 2, 3, and 6. The putative SNP markers associated with a low number of emerged Sh and agronomic traits in the assessed genotypes are valuable genomic resources for accelerated breeding and variety deployment of pearl millet with Sh resistance and farmer- and market-preferred agronomic traits.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Reference52 articles.
1. Bationo, A. & Ntare, B. Rotation and nitrogen fertilizer effects on pearl millet, cowpea and groundnut yield and soil chemical properties in a sandy soil in the semi-arid tropics, West Africa. J. Agric. Sci. 134(3), 277–284 (2000).
2. FAOSTAT, FAOSTAT online database 2022: Rome Italy, 2022. (2022).
3. Drabo, I. et al. Identifying farmers’preferences and constraints to pearl millet production in the sahel and north-sudan zones of burkina faso. Exp. Agricult. 55(5), 765–775 (2018).
4. Rouamba, A. et al. Constraints to pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) production and farmers’ approaches to Striga hermonthica management in burkina faso. Sustainability 13(15), 8460 (2021).
5. Zombré, P. & Nikiéma, S. Importance et effet de Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth sur la production du sorgho en zone Nord Soudanienne du Burkina Faso: Cas de Linonghin. Revue du réseau pour l’amélioration de la productivité agricole en milieu aride 4, 103–112 (1992).