Variability and Association Study of Yield and Nutritive Quality Traits in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R Br)

Background: Micronutrient deficiency poses a significant global health challenge, affecting more than two billion individuals, with a pronounced impact on women, children and infants, principally in developing nations. Implementing agricultural strategies, such as incorporating micronutrient-rich crop-based foods and bio-fortified crop varieties containing elevated levels of iron and zinc, emerges as economical and viable solution. The study aimed to determine the extent of variability in the accessible germplasm collection from varied origins and consider the potential for bio-fortifying pearl millet with essential micronutrients. Methods: A field research was executed with 103 pearl millet genotypes using randomized block design at Millet breeding station, TNAU, Coimbatore for three seasons of summer and rainy seasons of 2022 and 2023, aiming to find the variation and the relation of two major micronutrients with yield-related traits. The collected data was subjected for analysis by using WINDOSTAT software version 7.1. Result: The genotypes, PT 6476, PT 6583, PTB 7079, PTB 7095, PT 6679, PT 7054, PTB 7082, PT 7062 and ICMB 98222 and PMC 23B, PT 5315, PTB 7086, DMR 3/1, PT 6476, PTB 7098, PT 5188, ICMB 99222 and PT 6676 were exhibited the higher reports of greater than 80 mg/kg and greater than 50 mg/kg Fe and Zn contents respectively with considerable agronomic back ground across the seasons and they were permissible for the bio-fortification programs. Also the trial revealed that high genetic and phenotypic coefficient of variation for yield linked traits. The traits such as girth of single panicle, test weight, leaf breadth, leaf length, length of single panicle, leaf sheath length and grain iron revealed the highly significant association with kernel yield. Additionally, a positive highly significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.66) between micronutrient contents (Fe and Zn) along with seed yield (r = 0.18) was observed, suggesting the probability of concurrent improvement of micronutrients without altering the grain yield.