Decoding biochemical trait inheritance through generation mean analysis in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]

Sunaina Yadav; Sumerpal Singh; Tripti Singhal; Rakesh Bhardwaj; Sonu Shekhwat; Aavula Naveen; Hemanth S

doi:10.1017/S0021859625100269

Decoding biochemical trait inheritance through generation mean analysis in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 September 2025

Aavula Naveen and

Sunaina Yadav: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Sumerpal Singh*: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Tripti Singhal: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Rakesh Bhardwaj: Affiliation:
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, India
Sonu Shekhwat: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Aavula Naveen: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Hemanth S: Affiliation:
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
*: Corresponding author: Sumerpal Singh; Email: sumerpalsingh@yahoo.com

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Abstract

Pearl millet is a vital nutri-cereal that serves as a staple food and a significant source of calories for millions of people in arid and semi-arid tropical regions. The present work aims to conduct various genetic interpretations using six generations of six crosses, which were evaluated during the South-west monsoon season 2021 and 2022 at IARI, New Delhi, India for different biochemical traits. Amylose content (AC) among all the genotypes varied from 21.3–26.4g/100g, starch content (SC) from 56.1–71.0g/100g, oil content from 5.37–13.2g/100g, total protein content from 5.7–14.7g/100g, phytic acid content from 0.86–1.01g/100g and total phenolic content (TPhC) from 0.06–0.19g/100g. Seed yield per spike (SYS) showed positive correlation with thousand seed weight (TSW) and SC while there was negative correlation with protein content. Significant variation was observed for almost all the traits except in a few cases. AC and SC were governed by both additive and dominant gene actions. However, phytic acid, TPhC, TSW and SYS exhibited a stronger bias towards dominant gene action, therefore selection can be delayed to later generations to achieve greater homozygosity and trait stability. In contrast, oil and protein content were primarily controlled by additive effects, indicating that early-generation selection may prove beneficial for identifying superior breeding lines.

Keywords

additive dominance epistasis gene action non-additive nutri-cereal

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Type: Crops and Soils Research Paper
Information: The Journal of Agricultural Science , First View , pp. 1 - 15

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859625100269 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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