Genetic Architecture of Quality Traits Including β-Carotene in Pearl Millet

Gene action studies for protein content, grain hardness, total carotenoids, and β-carotene were undertaken in a 10 × lO diallel cross progenies of pearl millet. Absence of nonallelic interaction was observed in the inheritance of grain hardness ana (β-carote ne. Additive as well as nonadditive gene effects were important with the preponderance of nonadditive gene effects for all the traits studied. Degree of dominance was in the overdominance range for all the characters. Grain hardness was under the influence of dominant genes while β-carotene was under the control of recessive genes. Heritability estimates were high for total carotenoids and β-carotene. For simultaneous improvement of protein and carotene content modified reciprocal recurrent selection with inbred tester is suggested.