• • • Seed size selection of common millet at the early breeding stage
Wide cultivation of common millet — valuable food and fodder crop — requires preliminary breeding data. Seed size selection is of great interest, since it is closely connected to productivity. The investigation evaluated the effectiveness of selection of large-kernel genotypes at the early breeding time. Hybrid F3 populations showed segregation of 1000 kernel weight. Some populations exceeded their parental lines in this trait as well as in grain size, weight and content in crop head. F1 population gave higher trait values due to heterosis. F2 and F3 populations showed slight reduction in those values, and hybrid diversity significantly grew. Three hybrid populations were studied: “Saratovskoe 10” × “Barnaulskoe 80M”, “Saratovskoe 10” × “Tuvinskoe” and “Barnaulskoe 98P” × “Kr.z.kf.”. Seed fractionation into large and small seeds resulted in fraction ratio of 50:50%. 1000 kernel weight of large grain varied from 7.1 to 7.9 g, the small one — from 6.3 to 6.9 g. Relatively stable lines of further generations were selected and tested. Large grains, chosen in F3 gave valuable hybrid genotypes, improving selection efficacy. The best hybrid combination was “Saratovskoe 10” × “Barnaulskoe 80M”. It produced promising lines, having high productivity, large kernels, resistance to kernel smut and good grain quality.
Source: https://kormoproizvodstvo.ru/en/5-2018-2/, p. 27
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