Influence of Different Mating Systems on the Performance of Certain Populations of Pearl Millet, Pennisetum Americanum (L.) Leeke

The search for an efficient and easy mating system to maintain the performance of promising open pollinated varieties and populations, available in a breeding nursery, over years, is of great significance. The paper aims to compare three practicable mating systems, namely, bulk sibbing, selling, and random mating and their influence on five vegetative and yield characteristics in nine pearl millet populations, being maintained in Niger, West Africa. The present study reveals that random mating is the best method as it is easier to practice and it minimises the inbreeding depression and losses due to generic drift.