Variability Study and DUS Characterization in Kodo Millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.)

Aims: To study variability and DUS characterization for yield and its attributing traits

Study Design: Randomized Block Design

Place and Duration of Study: 49 genotypes of kodo millet, were evaluated at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, during kharif, 2021.

Methodology: The experimental material consisted of 49 different kodo millet genotypes procured from Hill Millet Research Station, Muvaliya Farm, Anand Agricultural University, Dahod, Gujarat.

Results: Qualitative traits offered considerable variability and differentiated the genotypes distinctly, but genotypes did not vary much for characters such as internode pigmentation, spike curvature and spike branching. No co-linearity was found between pigmentation at the leaf sheath, leaf juncture, internode or leaf blade, indicating the involvement of different loci for pigmentation at these different plant parts. The genotypic and phenotypic variance were high (>>40) for plant height, followed by fodder yield per plant, total carbohydrate and days to maturity. High GCV and PCV were recorded for total phenol, peduncle length and grain yield per plant, whereas low GCV and PCV were recorded for all other traits including days to 50% flowering. High heritability along with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for grain yield per plant, flag leaf blade length, raceme length, peduncle length, total carbohydrate and total phenol. This indicated the involvement of additive genetic control in the expression of those trait; hence, the traits can be continued for selection in segregating generations.

Conclusion: Qualitative characters differentiated the genotypes distinctly except pigmentation at leaf sheath, spike curvature and spike branching because genotypes did not vary much for this characters and estimates of GCV were lower than PCV for all the characters which indicated interaction of genotypes with environments.