Development of Early Maturing and High Yielder Finger Millet Cultivar (VL Mandua 400)

A new finger millet variety (VL Mandua 400) has been developed by ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora. Newly bred cultivar was developed from the cross between VL-352 (early maturing finger millet cultivar) and GPU 48 (blast resistant finger millet variety) followed by pedigree method of selection in the segregating generations. It has consistently performed well in All India Coordinated Trials, showing adaptability across diverse agro-climatic conditions, with notable yield improvements in the seven states namely, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. VL Mandua 400, achieving an average grain yield of 3,476.76 kg/ha over 3 years (kharif 2019 to kharif 2021) compared to national check VL Mandua 376 (3,111.72 kg/ha) of testing under rainfed kharif ecology condition. Its performance in Coordinated trials showed grain yield advantages of 11.50% over the elite early national check variety VL Mandua 376, underscoring its adaptability to various agro-climatic conditions. VL Mandua 400 (8,480.39 kg/ha) also out-yielded the elite early check VL Mandua 376(7,190.06 kg/ha) in terms of fodder yield by an impressive margin of 17.95% in All India Coordinated trials conducted across the mentioned seven states. It matures in 101 to 103 days (early) and features an erect growth habit, non-pigmented node and semi-compact ear-heads with top incurved fingers, reaching heights of 88 to 95 cm, with medium, round-shaped grains of brown color. VL Mandua 400 recorded low incidence to leaf blast (grade score 3.4), neck blast (13.48%) and finger blast (12.0%), banded leaf blight (29.5%) and foot rot (12.06%). It also possesses multi pest resistance and exhibited very low incidence of Myllocerus weevil (3.64%; stem borer (7.72%), shoot aphids (7.42%) and grasshopper (12.60%). Nutritionally, VL Mandua 400 overtook national checks in calcium (399.5 mg/100g) with the superiority of 25.3%, compared to elite early check VL Mandua 376 (318.9 mg/100g). It also possesses high protein (8.5%) compared to VL Mandua 376 (7.7%). VL Mandua 400 was identified in 2022 and subsequently released and notified in 2023 because to its exceptional performance in grain yield, grain quality and resistance towards major diseases and insect-pest as documented in All India Coordinated trials.