SCREENING OF FOXTAIL MILLET (SETARIA ITALICA L.) VARIETIES FOR WATER USE EFFICIENCY TRAITS AND YIELD POTENTIAL UNDER RAINFED SITUATION

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif 2015 season to evaluate foxtail millet varieties for water use efficiency (WUE) traits and yield potential under rainfed conditions. The study was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications, involving nine varieties (Krishnadevaraya, Narasimharaya, Prasad, Sri Lakshmi, SiA 3085, SiA 3156, Suryanandi, SiA 3221, and SiA 3223). Significant genotypic differences were observed in growth parameters, including plant height, leaf area, and dry matter production, at various stages. SiA 3156 exhibited the highest plant height, leaf area, and leaf area index at 30 and 60 DAS, while Suryanandi recorded the highest dry matter production across stages. Considerable variation was also noted in WUErelated traits, including relative water content (RWC), specific leaf area (SLA), and SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR). SiA 3221 showed higher SLA (161.2 cm²) and SPAD values (49.4), whereas Narasimharaya recorded the highest RWC at 30 and 45 DAS. For yield attributes, Krishnadevaraya produced the maximum tillers per plant (5.44), SiA 3085 recorded the highest test weight (3.20 g), and Suryanandi achieved the highest grain yield (3111 kg ha⁻¹), followed by SiA 3085 (2874 kg ha⁻¹) and Krishnadevaraya (2824 kg ha⁻¹). The lowest grain yield was observed in SiA 3221 (353 kg ha⁻¹). Krishnadevaraya produced the highest straw yield (6395 kg ha⁻¹), while SiA 3156 registered the highest harvest index (64.67%). The results highlight significant variability among foxtail millet varieties, indicating scope for identifying superior genotypes for rainfed cultivation with improved WUE and yield potential.