Comparative Study of S₁ and Open Pollinated Progenies of Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. emends Stuntz] for Green Fodder Yield and its Components

A comparative study of 36 S₁, S₁-OP-S₁ and S₁-OP-OP progenies of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. emends Stuntz] for green fodder yield over one season revealed highly significant differences among progenies for days to heading, plant height, tillers per plant, leaves per plant, third leaf area, internode extrusion, leaf:stem ration, stem thickness and green fodder yield per plant. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were more or less similar for all the characters. High (50–70%) to vary high (>70%) heritability was coupled with high (>50%) genetic advance as percentage of mean was observed for green fodder yield per plant in all three types of progenies, confirming that genotypic variance has contributed substantially to the total variance. Whereas, high heritability was coupled with medium to low was observed. Based upon character association and path analysis, it may be concluded that plant height, tillers per plant and leaves per plant were the major green fodder yield component, because it has high positive significant association and positive direct effect on green fodder yield in all the three types of progenies. Based on the results of the per se performance of three progenies considering for various traits, the genotypes IP-141, IP-196-1, IP-111-1, IP-181-1 and IP-204-1 were found to be superior for earliness, plant height, tillers per plant, leaves per plant, third leaf area, stem thickness, leaf:stem ratio and green fodder yield per plant. Therefore, these progenies should be utilized in further breeding programme for developing superior varieties.