Molecular genetic diversity and inter-generation association parameters for yield attributes in the segregating generation of barnyard millet [Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb.) Link] crosses

Barnyard millet, recognized for its high nutritional and agronomic value, has garnered significant attention in recent times. However, no short-duration varieties of barnyard millet have been released so far in Tamil Nadu. To ad- dress this gap, a study was conducted at the Agricultural College and Re- search Institute, TNAU, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, during the summer of 2020 and 2021. The study aimed to evaluate the diversity among ten barn- yard millet parents, varying in duration used in various crosses, employing 30 EST-SSR and SSR markers. Twenty of the thirty primers used demon- strated polymorphism, highlighting molecular diversity. The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value extended from 0.18 (BMESSR 101 and BMESSR 114) to 0.62 (BMESSR 120). Two to three alleles per locus were pro- duced by these polymorphic markers. The ten parents were grouped into four clusters, based on Jaccard’s coefficient. The parents used for different crosses in the hybridization program were chosen from the distant clusters as confirmed by the parental diversity analysis. The intergeneration herita- bility parameters, including parent-progeny correlation, regression, and narrow-sense heritability, were analyzed between the F2 and F3 generations of crosses involving extra-early parents ACM-15-343 x IEc 82 and Co (Kv) 2 x IEc 107. Regression values for yield attributes were positive and highly sig- nificant, confirming the successful inheritance of traits with minimal envi- ronmental influence. High narrow-sense heritability estimates for all yield traits indicated the potential for developing early-maturing, high-yielding genotypes. This study highlights the molecular diversity and genetic poten- tial of barnyard millet, paving the way for the development of improved cultivars.